Relaxation
by bondfan
Summary: AU. COMPLETE. based on an earlier fic of mine! What happens when Mwu, Murrue, Natarle, Erica Simmons, and their friends go to a seaside resort to relax? Why doesn't it start exactly the way they planned? MxM, NatarlexOC, EricaxOC. Summary sucks, but what
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: A new story for those who asked for one!

* * *

The early beams of sun shone through the patchy clouds in wavy patterns. The beams cascaded through the small windows of the airplane and into the eyes of the brown-haired woman inside. Murrue squeezed her eyes tightly shut as the light invaded her blissful sleep before slowly opening them to see the sun shining through her window. Mwu was fast asleep, his head resting comfortably on her shoulder, his blonde hair tossed about his face in a disoriented manner. They had spent most of the early morning on the plane, having gotten on the jet at about three in the morning. With their sleep drained, the couple had fallen asleep just barely ten minutes into the flight from Orb's capital city to the smaller city of Waveland, an appropriate name for a seaside city. 

Murrue leaned towards the window, being careful not to wake Mwu, and stared out at the vast landscape below. She could see the ocean, white waves lapping against sandy beaches. Lush, green forest lined the inland areas and occasionally a small dot that represented a house would appear. Orb's northern coast was much more rural than the more populated southern and eastern coasts, which made this side of the island a premier spot for people who wanted to get away from everyday life.

Murrue turned her head behind her to get a glimpse of her fellow travelers besides Mwu. She smiled when she saw her older brother Frank and her good friend Natarle still fast asleep in their seats about two rows behind them. Frank was leaned back in the seat, slouching down towards the ground with his artificial right hand laying across his lap. Natarle was leaned against the window, its shutter closed, her left hand acting as a support. But what made Murrue smile the most was the fact that, very well unknowingly, their opposite and free hands were interlocked with one another. Although they had denied it to most people who inquired them about their current romantic situation, Murrue well knew by now that her brother and Natarle were well more than friends.

The other couple on the plane in their group were sitting across the aisle from Murrue. Her fellow technician at the Morgenrate Corporation, Erica Simmons, was fast asleep as well, her head laid gently on her husband John's shoulder. Murrue knew that this trip meant more to Erica and John than anyone else. Tomorrow would be their fifth wedding anniversary, and this trip was going to be a special time for them, but they had invited Murrue and the others along as well to take part in the celebration, and also to get away from their now everyday lives in Orb, after the war was over.

It still felt like yesterday that Erica had first told Murrue about this extravagant adventure.

* * *

-_Flashback_- 

"This is you and John's fifth anniversary isn't it Erica?" Murrue asked as she fetched her coffee cup from its place beneath the dispenser in one of the break rooms.

Erica was leaning up against the clear windows sipping from her own cup. "Yes. We're going to the Waveland Resort to celebrate."

"Really?" There was agasp of awe in Murrue's voice. "I heard that place was supposed to be really fancy."

"No, not really. It's expensive, but it's not all that fancy." Erica paused as Murrue came beside her and leaned against the window. "But what really made it for us is the fact that it's one of the most romantic places in the entire country."

"Wow."

"It's where we went for our honeymoon in '67," Erica continued. "The beach, the golf course, the restaurants, it all just was so beautiful for us that we decided to go back."

"So this is kind of a second honeymoon for you two?" Murrue asked.

Erica shrugged. "I guess you could call it that." She took another sip from her cup and added, "Whatever it is, we're really looking forward to it."

"Huh..." Murrue murmured. "Just hearing you talk about it makes me already want to go there with you."

"Silly, you _are_ going with us." Murrue nearly spit her coffee back into its cup.

Erica was already walking away from Murrue to throw away her cup by the time Murrue found the words to respond. "_What_...Erica why...I mean...what...?"

"I'm inviting you and Mwu to come join John and myself at the resort," Erica answered before Murrue could even ask the question.

"Erica I..." Murrue's voice trailed off, still in a state of shock.

"Come on Murrue. You already said that you wanted to go there, so now I'm inviting you." Erica placed her hands on her hips and said, "Don't tell me you don't want to go now."

"No, it's not that. It's just..." Murrue struggled to find the right words. "It's all so...sudden and...I really don't know if Mwu and I can afford to go with you and..."

"Don't worry about money, John and I are paying for it. You two will be our guests. Besides, we're leaving Ryuta with John's parents so it will be a trip just for couples. Come on Mrs. la Flaga... what do you say?" Erica smiled.

Murrue sighed. "I guess I can't turn down that invitation now can I?"

"Yay!" Erica said quietly, taking Murrue into a quick hug. She laughed, "Thank you. It'll be so nice to have someone who can share the joy with John and I."

"I should be the one thanking you," Murrue insisted. "But I still feel kind of bad about joining you two. I mean...it _is_ your anniversary and all...I may be saying this without thinking but...wouldn't we be intruding on your...you know...?"

Erica chuckled. "You won't be intruding on us. If it makes you feel better, why not ask your brother and his girlfriend to come along too? As far as I'm concerned _they _need a vacation more than we do."

Murrue smiled. "Well you may have a point there. Both Frank and Natarle have been working themselves to death every since we came to Orb. But I doubt that Natarle will want to come, so..."

"Well ask her anyway," Erica chided. "It can't hurt."

"No, I guess it can't," Murrue laughed.

-_End Flashback_-

* * *

Murrue felt a strong pair of arms encircle her from behind. She smiled. "Good morning," she whispered, turning slowly in her chair. 

Mwu's blue eyes were slits as he held his wife. "Good morning, yourself." He kissed her quickly and released her. Stretching his arms over his head and letting out a quiet yawn, he said, "Where are we?"

"See for yourself." Mwu glanced out the window beside him and stared. "Wow...it's beautiful," he murmured.

"That's what I said," Murrue added, turning this way and that a few times to stretch out her back, which was cramping heavily after having spent the better part of the morning on the plane. "We should be landing in about an hour."

"Good." Mwu relaxed back into his chair and added, "I cannot wait."

Within the next few minutes, the entire group slowly awoke from their slumbers. "I hope you slept well," Erica said to Murrue.

Murrue shrugged. "As best I could, given the circumstances."

Behind them, Frank stretched his arms in front of him as far as they'd go in the confines of his seat and yawned softly. He ran his fingers through his brown locks and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, puckering his lips at the taste of the sourness now inside of it. He glanced to his right and saw Natarle gently arouse herself from her sleep and stretch out her arms.

"Morning," Frank whispered.

Natarle opened eyes. She cocked her head to the right and mumbled out a tired, "Good morning." She too managed to give off a quiet yawn.

"Did you sleep well?" Frank asked politely.

Natarle shrugged slightly. "I guess you could say that. Though...I'm not used to sleeping sitting up..."

"Yeah, I know it's uncomfortable," Frank said.

"That's an understatement," Natarle responded.

Frank grinned and shook his head. "Do you have to be so negative? We're supposed to be on vacation, you know."

Natarle sighed. "I know. It's just...I...I can't get the feeling out of my body that I'm not supposed to be here today..." She yawned again, her voice trailing off.

She heard him chuckle. "You're never gonna let it go are you? Natarle...they can handle the Intelligence Department without you today. Stop worrying about it..."

-_Flashback_-

* * *

"I said, I _can't_ Murrue." Natarle's voice was assertive, containing the very same volume and intensity she had displayed as first mate of the _Archangel_. "They need me too much at work." 

"Natarle, stop making excuses," Murrue persisted. She was sitting on the bed in Natarle's room, just a few minutes after the younger woman had returned from her job at the Intelligence Department in Orb. "Orb isn't going to find itself in a dramatic crisis just because you go away for a few days."

"You don't know that." Natarle removed her coat. She flung it around a hanger and stuck it into her closet, which was packed with business suits much like the one she sported now. "If something unforseen happens-"

"They'll be able to handle it," Murrue interrupted. "Come on Natarle...you haven't left your work place other than to come home and sleep for almost three months. You're overworking yourself."

"I am not!" Natarle hissed.

"Yes, you are." Murrue stood up. "You come home every night looking terrible, you're eyes are always bloodshot, you can barely stand, you hardly spend any time with the rest of us, particularly Frank-"

"He's been just as busy as I have," Natarle said. "He probably won't be able to come either."

"Come where?" Frank had suddenly appeared in the doorway, dressed in his Orb military uniform, where he served as Colonel in the Fighter Command.

Natarle opened her mouth to speak, but Murrue cut her off. "To the Waveland Resort and Spa, the fanciest and most beautiful hotel in all of Orb."

Frank's mouth dropped. "Holy...you're going there sis?"

"You two are too," Murrue beamed.

"No I'm not," Natarle said quickly.

"Wait, wait..." Frank stammered. "How...how are you affording this?"

"Erica Simmons and her husband John are paying for all of it. It's their fifth anniversary and they want us to come with them to celebrate. She just asked me this morning!" Murrue was smiling with excitement. "I didn't want to go at first either, but she told me to bring Mwu and you two along with and that sold me entirely."

"That's great! I'd love to go."

"Frank, are you even going to be able to get time off?" Natarle asked as she folded her arms.

"Hell, those idiots down at Fighter Command can handle themselves for a few days. Besides, I'm only a Colonel as it is, they won't miss me." Frank smiled and came beside his sister. "Did you tell Mwu?"

"Yes, he already put in for time off," Murrue laughed. "He was just as enthusiastic as you were."

"Fabulous. Now that just leaves Ms. Badgiruel here and then we're all set."

"I already told you, I can't go," Natarle maintained. "I can't afford to take time off, especially now-"

"Murrue, go call Erica and tell her we're in," Frank interrupted.

"What-?" It was too late. Murrue had already thrown her arms around Frank's neck in a hug and was now bolting out the door. Frank was grinning when his eyes met Natarle's again. They appeared shocked...and maybe a little angry. "Frank," she spat, "what are you doing?"

"Just trying to help you, Natarle," he said, putting his arm around her shoulder. Slowly, he guided her towards the bed and sat her down beside him on the edge. "Come on now...you know you want to go."

"No I don't," Natarle said bitterly, turning her head sharply away from him. "You have no right to make decisions concerning me without my consent, _Colonel_!"

"Excuse me, ma'am," Frank said. His hand slinked down Natarle's opposite arm and gently pulled her closer to him. His other hand took hold of her chin and brought her face to meet his. "Natarle...stop worrying. The Intelligence Department can handle themselves for a few days. I'm sure they'll be able to function if you're gone."

"You can't be sure of that," Natarle said.

"Yes I can. You know why?" Natarle shook her head. "Because you've already done such a superb job down there that nothing possibly can go wrong. You've whipped those idiots into shape so fast that they'll be that much more careful when you're gone. Because they know that if the place is trashed when you get back...you'll come down even harder on them."

Natarle sighed. She paused. "If anything _does_ happen...I'm blaming you and your sister!" she whispered.

Frank smiled. "Does that mean you're coming?" He kissed her lips softly.

She sighed again. "I don't have much of a choice, now do I?"

-_End Flashback_-

* * *

Natarle leaned over in her seat, touching her temple to his. "I"m still holding you to that promise, you know." 

He responded with a kiss on her cheek. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The airplane touched down a few minutes later, its wheels screeching against the hot black pavement below them. All around the airfield was plush, green forest, trees reaching high into the sky, absorbing the magnificent sunlight that was pouring down from the heavens. Just a short distance away was the Waveland Resort and Spa. Its two main buildings were each in the shape of a semicircle, though the shapes were vertical instead of horizontal. The eastern building was painted bright red, with two giant sculptures of fish on each end of the building. The western building was taller, with a triangle molded into the middle of the semicircle. It was colored sky blue with a giant rose tattooed across its outer surface. In between the two main buildings was a smaller one, one that housed all of the spa facilities. Each building had two swimming pools and it took just a short walk to the north to find the sandy white beaches that lead to the ocean.

The resort and spa offered almost everything a person on vacation could want. Swimming, scuba diving, golf, tanning, fine dining, an art gallery, and so much more. It even had its own private airfield, where the small plane had just landed. The plane was towed towards the single terminal where guests arrived or departed the hotel grounds. A portable staircase was extended to allow the passengers to disembark into the beautiful sunlit morning.

The six people in the group managed to make their way to the door where one of the flight attendants opened it. "Do we have everything?" John called out behind him in his deep, elegant voice. His black hair was whipped around as the breeze from outside caught it.

"Yes," Erica answered first, followed by Murrue, Mwu, Frank, and Natarle.

"Let's go, then." John extended his arm in a ladies first gesture, which Erica gladly accepted and began to descend the stairs.

Mwu leaned over to whisper in Frank's ear, "You ready?"

"What do you think, buddy?" Frank asked incredulously. He snapped his fingers and said, "I'm ready to start things off with a bang."

Ahead, Erica stopped suddenly and quickly pivoted back towards the plane. "Wait I forgot something...oh!" It was too late to stop herself. As she turned to head back up the stairs, she made contact with her husband behind her, who's forward momentum, not helped at all by the carry-on bag slung over his shoulder, carried him over her extended leg and sent him tumbling down the stairs head first.

John fell down the steps roughly, rolling over about five times, his shoulder smashing into the metal stairs and snapping with an ugly crack. It took several seconds for his wildly descending form to crash into the pavement below, which didn't help his already injured shoulder any more, and crash to a halt. He groaned quietly, his moan coming out of his throat slowly and painfully. Erica was running down the steps shouting his name. Murrue followed her. As they reached his form, Frank, Mwu, and Natarle stood motionless at the top of the steps. Natarle's hand had gone over his mouth and she turned her head away to avoid the sight. Mwu put his arm over his brow and sighed painfully. Frank's mood hurt most of all.

"Not exactly...what I had in mind..." he whispered, John's injured painful groans fully audible all the way at the top of the stairs.

* * *

**Author's Note:** It's not much for a start, but this is pretty much how I needed it. Read, Review, and I'll more than likely continue this fic. And finally, please NO FLAMES! 


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Just to give you readers a background on this story, this is basically a combination of all the drabbles I've concocted over these last few months. I decided to give them all to you with a basic plot line to back them up.

* * *

The doctor took the x-ray photo off of the drawing board and held it in front of his eyes for several seconds. He shook his head. "Mildly dislocated collar bone," he announced. He began to walk towards the bed where the patient lay. "It's not as bad as we feared, though it still is damaged."

John squeezed his lips into a thin line. His right arm was in a sling. "You'll have to wear the sling for two days, but on the third you'll be able to take it off for about five hours."

"Does that mean no leisurely activities?" John asked somberly.

The doctor chuckled. "Not entirely, Mr. Simmons. If you were planning on just sitting around and relaxing, then you'll more than likely be getting plenty of_ that _while you're here."

John smiled. "Well, at least I won't be completely bored." He squeezed Erica's hand which had been clasped firmly in his uninjured left hand. She hadn't left his side all morning.

The doctor walked off a few moments later, off to see another patient. John slowly began to rise from the hospital bed. Erica reached out to stop him. "John, don't..." she pleaded.

"I'll be fine, Erica. Don't worry," he said in a mild chuckle. "I messed my shoulder up. I'm not paralyzed." John stepped over towards the open window of his makeshift room. The breeze was blowing in from the coast, filled with the smell of salt water and sand. Sea gulls could be heard in the distance, calling out to one another in some kind of ritual. Below that, the only sound that could be heard was the persistent _-whoosh..._ of a wave breaking against the shore.

John felt weight on his left shoulder. Erica placed her chin on his left shoulder and sighed. "I'm sorry..."

"I already told you, it's not your fault." John's voice was quiet and serene.

"Yes it was," his wife maintained. "I was stupid...I forgot my carry-on...how could I be so dumb...?" John could hear the tears in her voice as she spoke. He hated when she cried.

"Hey...come on now..." His left arm circled her waist and held her to him. The breeze from the shore blew her brown hair into her face. "Stop blaming yourself okay...I don't blame you for what happened...it could have happened to anyone."

He whispered in her ear. "I promise I won't let this put a damper on our festivities this weekend." Erica sniffed and touched her temple to his.

Then there came a knock on the door. "Can we come in?" That was Murrue's voice.

"If you want," John replied. Behind them came Murrue, Mwu, Frank, and Natarle, each with a grim and uneasy expression on their faces. John turned around to face them and saw their eyes take in the sight of his arm. "What's the matter?" he said, chuckling slightly as usual.

"Are you okay?" Murrue asked.

"Slightly dislocated my shoulder," John elaborated. He yawned. "I won't be able to do much active stuff for the next few days..."

"Isn't that what you planned on doing this entire time, though?" Mwu asked casually. Murrue glared at him. "Okay...I'm sorry..."

"Don't be," John responded. "Look...before anybody says anything else...let me just say that I don't want this to screw up _any_ of your plans for this weekend. Don't worry about me. _Please_. I'll be just fine."

"You're still planning on staying here, right?" Frank asked.

"Yeah. I wouldn't waste my anniversary for anything." That brought a smile to Erica's face for the first time since the incident. "Plus, I really don't give a crap about what's gonna happen after we leave. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

Mwu laughed. "I don't think any of us want to think about home for the next few days, John."

"You're right about that," Frank agreed. Murrue smiled. Natarle did too, adding a roll of her eyes.

"On that note," John began, "I want everyone to agree on something I thought about while I was waiting in here." He glanced down at Erica who smiled up at him. "I want us to make a pledge, no...a promise. A promise...that for the entire time we are here...we will not speak of our regular work lives in Orb to anyone...not even ourselves...does that sound okay?"

"Sounds good to me," Mwu put in.

"What _doesn't_ sound good to you?" Frank mocked.

Mwu tilted his head back towards his brother-in-law and responded, "Do you want _you're_ shoulder busted too?"

"Hey! Who's the one with the artificial hand that can kill a guy with one punch, _bro_?" Frank answered, brandishing his surgically replaced right hand.

"Knock it off you guys," John laughed. "They way this' going you two are gonna kill each other before this trip is over with."

"We are not!" they both said at the same time. Murrue had her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Natarle only shook her head.

John sighed. "I take it we all agreed on that promise, correct?"

"I'm in," Mwu repeated.

"Yeah, me too," Frank said.

"Count me in," Murrue added.

Natarle paused. "I guess that leaves me no choice, does it?"

"Nope," Frank said quickly, earning him a playful punch to the shoulder from his girlfriend.

"Now that that's out of the way, why don't you guys go and start having fun." He released his hold on Erica. "Honey, take the girls to the spa. They deserve a good relaxing afternoon after all that's happened this morning."

"Okay, that's a good idea." Erica kissed him on the lips and started for the door. "Get well, soon. Come on ladies. Let's leave these boys to themselves."

"All right, Erica," Murrue answered. "Come on, Natarle."

"I don't know..." Natarle started to respond. Murrue quickly grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the door.

"You don't have a choice, remember?" Murrue said. Natarle cried out as she disappeared through the doorway.

Mwu raised his eyebrows. "That's gonna be real interesting when they get her there, huh?"

"That's my girl," Frank answered with a smile.

"So then, where are you two gentlemen off to?" John inquired.

"Figured I'd hit the links," Frank said. "Need to work on my swing this weekend so I can finally beat the guys at the office who've been playing for twenty years."

"I'll go with you. I need to work on my game too," Mwu put in.

"I'd say you do," Frank said, heading out of the door. "Hey, John you gonna be okay?"

"I'm heading back to the suite to get myself organized. You'll probably see me later in the day."

"Great! We'll see you then." Mwu waved goodbye as he left the room.

When they left, John sighed quietly and turned back towards his window. The warm, ocean breeze whipped into his face and made his eyes water. Everyone else was off having fun at his expense. He smiled. He wasn't going to have it any other way this weekend.

* * *

**AN:** I know it's kind of short, but I ran out of ideas for this chapter. The next one should be a little more interesting. Hopefully! 


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Here's your new chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

"Your suite, sir." With the bell-boy holding open the door for him, John stepped into the confines of his and Erica's hotel suite. Ironically, it was the very same one they'd shared when the couple had come here five years ago. "Room service is available at the number provided by the phone, sir."

"Thank you." John handed the young man his tip and shut the door behind him with a soft click. John took this opportunity to take in the site of the suite. It was vast, well decorated, and screamed with luxury. Three rooms made up the large suite, located in the blue triangle that marked the center of the hotel's tallest building. The room to the immediate right was the bedroom, with two king sized beds, each with bright blue quilts covering them and four pillows, a television, and a radio atop an end table. Their luggage had already been brought into the closet at the far side of the bedroom. To the left was the bathroom, which featured a shower, bathtub, and sink with a shaving mirror above it. Finally, there was the center room, which was where the door led. At the rear was the balcony, which stretched the entire width of the inside rooms, overlooking the parking lot immediately below the hotel and the sea off to the right. Right in front of the balcony was a square, hard wood table with four chairs, and just to the left of that was a small jacuzzi, big enough for two, which would satisfy John and Erica quite well in the not too distant future. A refrigerator was just to the left of the door, beside a counter top which supported a microwave and another sink. Off to the right was a couch placed up against the wall to the bedroom with a picture of a ship at sea hanging above it. In front of the couch was another television, this one far bigger than the small one in the bedroom.

It was virtually just as it had been when they'd last left it, though there were a few differences. There was new carpet, which was soft under John's feet after he removed his shoes and socks. The walls had been repainted a bright crimson and there was now a coffee maker on the counter top beside the microwave. All together this had cost just about $900 for the three nights they would be staying here, plus the added costs for the other two rooms and any other expenses they racked up on this trip, which would be numerous, John knew.

John left the room for a moment and ventured down the hallway to fetch some ice. He returned and dropped three cubes into a small glass and poured himself some water. Taking care not to upset his shoulder, John maneuvered out onto the balcony where several small lawn chairs sat beside an circular glass tabletop. He set his drink down on the table and sat down. The ocean breeze was even more pleasant up here than it was in the hospital. It gently touched his short black locks and lifted them up like feathers caught in an updraft. The breeze was cool upon his clean shaven face and the blue skies above him matched his eyes perfectly. John placed his legs on the railing and leaned back with his left hand behind his head. He took a cold sip from his glass and sighed. "I think I'm gonna be able to live through this weekend after all..." he murmured, but his deep voice was drowned out by the breeze which caught it and blew it into the cloudless sky above.

* * *

Murrue felt like she was in heaven. After a short stint in the steam room, she now found herself enveloped in the pleasures of one of the Waveland Spa's hot baths. Her brown hair was wrapped up in a white linen towel to avoid having it dip into the water, which could damage it, but those perils were far beyond Murrue's mind as of this point. The hot water was like velvet on her skin. She breathed in and out through her nose while her lips were formed into a relaxed smile.

Erica was beside her in the next bath, her hair wrapped up in the same manner. "Was I right about the baths?" she asked quietly, her voice barely audible to Murrue in her current state.

"Mmm..." was the only answer Murrue could give at this point. She stretched her legs out at far as they would go and then let them settle onto the bottom.

Erica leaned her head back and rested it against the comfortable head rests that had been provided by the kind staff of the spa. "What do you think the boys are doing now?" she whispered.

"Who cares?" Murrue responded, her words extended into long overtones. She sighed. "Mwu and Frank have probably already hurt themselves, if I know them."

"I'm surprised they hadn't already," Erica laughed. Murrue shot her an astonished glance. "I'm kidding!"

"I know...mmm...this feels _so good_..." Murrue brought her naked arms out of the bath and rested them against the edges.

"Do you think John's okay?" Murrue opened her eyes, the brown orbs coming slowly back to normal. Erica wasn't smiling anymore. A frown had adorned her face and she was staring down into the water with a sad look in her eyes.

Murrue said, "He's _fine_, Erica. He's a big boy, he can handle himself. Besides...he already told you a million times that it wasn't your fault."

"Then why do I still feel bad about it?" Erica asked somberly.

Murrue sighed. "You know you don't feel bad about John, right Erica?" Erica glanced at Murrue curiously. "You're more mad at yourself than you are him. You think that it's your fault that he got hurt in the first place."

"It was though," Erica responded.

"Only to a certain extent-"

"See, it was my fault," Erica said quickly.

"Stop it!" Murrue was surprised by the tone of her voice, but it was necessary at this moment. "Erica. _Stop blaming yourself_. John doesn't. Neither do the rest of us. You're the only one that thinks you personally were at fault. Those odds aren't in favor of feeling sorry for yourself, now are they?" Erica didn't answer. Murrue continued, "Look...you invited me on this trip. What kind of guest would I be if I let you just sit around and mope all the time?"

Erica bit her lower lip and sighed through her nose. "Okay. I'll stop thinking about it."

"Good." Murrue relaxed back into the bath and added, "You were starting to worry me a little bit there."

"Sorry. So then...what do you and Mwu have planned for this evening?" Erica inquired her friend.

"I'm not really sure. He told me he has a surprise planned, so..." Murrue's voice trailed off.

"Oooo...if it's a surprise then it probably means he's got something romantic planned," Erica chided. She smiled. "And knowing your husband, I think that's almost a guarantee."

Murrue smiled. "I'll just have to wait and see."

Erica closed her eyes. "By the way...where'd Natarle go?"

"I sent her off to the massage parlor," Murrue replied. "And trust me...she needs it."

* * *

"Aaaahhhh! Ooooohhhh!" The cries of the stranger on the massage table could be heard across the entire room. A large, brusky man with large, strong hands was grinding them into his back, causing the sounds of pleasure, or perhaps pain, to emanate from his mouth.

"Don't worry, this is the men's room. The women's is next door." The woman from the spa personnel wasn't exactly comforting Natarle with her words. She hugged herself in her robe and followed a short distance behind as she led her across the room and through a small doorway.

Natarle stepped into the next room which had about ten massage tables arrayed in a rectangular shape. The room was vacant at this point, which helped Natarle's mood slightly, but not much. There were no windows in the room, which was painted bright white and glaring florescent lights hung from the ceiling. To Natarle, it looked more like an asylum than a spa.

Her guide placed a towel on one of the farthest massage tables and gestured for Natarle to sit. Natarle did so carefully and silently. "Okay...you're signed up for...number 5, standard back and neck massage. Very nice choice, if I may." Natarle nodded. It _hadn't_ been her choice. Murrue had made it for her and sent her here without asking Natarle herself. Apparently she _needed_ it, whatever that meant.

The guide turned away from Natarle and said quickly, "Okay...take off your robe and lie down." Natarle snapped her head up in surprise. The guide was looking away from her to give her some privacy. "Don't worry, I won't look," came the reassuring response. Taking a few more seconds to be sure, Natarle slipped off her white robe and settled onto the table on her stomach. She stayed there for several more minutes. She felt the guide place another towel on her lower half, covering her waist and legs, leaving only her upper half exposed. The towel acting as her pillow was soft and somewhat moist against her beautiful face.

"There. Our massage therapist will be here shortly. I hope you enjoy it."

"Miss, wait!" It was too late, the guide was already heading for the door. It shut with a soft bang and Natarle was left alone. She gently placed her head back down upon the makeshift pillow and exhaled painfully. There wasn't a sound to be heard inside the parlor, which made it only feel more like an insane asylum to Natarle. She thought, _Why did I let them talk me into this?_

Natarle's thought were interrupted when she heard the door open behind her. _Just tell me I don't get the big guy_. Much to Natarle's relief, the person entering the room was a short and slender man of about five feet six inches. He was Asian, Natarle guessed, probably in his middle fifties, and he wore a small pair of spectacles on his nose. "Good afternoon," he said, his voice a quiet murmur. "My name is Sanji. It is a pleasure to be serving you on this day." He placed a plastic bottle of rubbing oil on a nearby pallet and squirted some onto his hands.

"I understand that this is your first time here. Am I wrong?" Natarle didn't answer. She only bit her lower lip. "Well...let me just assure you that you have nothing to fear. I like to make my patients as comfortable as possible." Natarle watched him out of the corner of his eyes. He reached under the table and retrieved a small set of head phones. "Now...during our procedure...I will be placing these headphones on your ears...so that...you will not be able to hear a thing from the outside here. What I wish...is for you to just relax...and enjoy your massage."

"What kind of music is it?" Natarle inquired in a husky voice.

"Not music. It is merely...the sound of the sea..." He placed the headphones over her ears and pressed a button on the tape player. "Now...just relax...shut your eyes...and just listen to the waves..." His pleasant voice made Natarle want to fall asleep right there, but she wasn't going to allow herself the embarrassment. It was then that she heard the first wave break and crash in its usual whooshing sound. Natarle's eyelids became heavy and they closed.

A few more waves crashed against the shore. Natarle's mind placed her in the middle of a beach. White sands spread across the entire horizon for as far as she could see. There was no one here but her. Natarle thought, _I guess this won't be so bad..._

Suddenly, Natarle felt a sharp pain in her lower back. She could feel the therapist's wrinkled hands on her naked back, pressing down on it with the palms of his hands. All of a sudden, the pleasant sight of the beach had been replaced with jagged rocks that were sticking themselves into her. The more he moved his hands, the more her back ached and throbbed in pain. Natarle clenched her teeth inside her closed mouth. _What was I thinking?_ she scolded herself. _I should have known better than to trust this old, lying, good for nothing...massage therapist...my..._

Natarle's thoughts slowly dissolved as the pain in her back slowly began to dissipate. The therapist had now begun to simply rub his smooth hands all across her back. It felt as if he were rubbing away the pain he had just brought down upon her. All around her, Natarle felt the rocks now begin to recede, sinking into the sand and becoming a comfortable dune, as smooth as silk on her body. The waves were gently lapping against the shore beside her now, but Natarle could barely here them now. She tried to keep her mind active, but the smooth hands traveling across her back made that impossible. Her mind began to shut down and soon Natarle fell into a deep sleep, a small grin stretched across her lips. The only thing that existed to her right at this moment, was the beach, and the waves. It took three hard nudges from the old therapist to wake her after it was over, but Natarle secretly never wanted it to end.

* * *

The hard edge of the club struck the tiny white ball dead center. The small orb was sent flying through the air as a result of the impact. Frank held his follow through pose as he watched his ball descend towards its landing point. It bounced twice in the short grass of the fairway before slowly rolling to the right and into the rough off the fairway. "Damn," Frank swore. "That's the third time I've gotten caught in there today." He shoved his club back into his bag with vengeful force. "Usually I'm more accurate than that."

"We all have our bad days, Frank," Mwu said, stepping onto the tee and placing his ball on it. "Though I seem to have many more playing this game than you do."

"Yeah, you've got that right," Frank chuckled. Mwu had actually missed more fairways in the last six holes than Frank had all day long.

Mwu lined up the face of his driver with the back edge of the white sphere beneath him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he brought the club up behind his head and down towards the ground in an arc, striking the golf ball dead on and sending it screaming down the fairway. It bounced three times before rolling to a halt in the middle of the short green grass. Mwu raised his eyebrows and nodded his head.

"One good tee shot and you fall in love with this game," he said confidently as he marched back towards his bag.

Frank smirked. "You're only saying that because you heard me say it."

"So what?" Mwu asked casually. "I still hit it better than you did."

"Only by default because I'm in the rough." Frank turned and started down the cart path on foot. As he turned, something small tumbled out of his shirt pocket and landed on the pavement below.

Mwu saw it and picked it up in his hand. "Hey Frank, you dropped..." Mwu's voice trailed off when he realized what it was. A tiny, blackvelvet box.

Frank had turned around and now extended his hand towards his brother-in-law, who, much to Frank's displeasure, had already opened up the box. "Thanks, man." Mwu didn't give it back. "You gonna give that back to me now?"

"Frank...this is a wedding ring!"

Mwu's eyes were giant circles as they started at the diamond trinket. Frank snatched the box out of his hand and placed it back into his pocket. "Yeah, so what? No big deal."

"_No big deal_!" Mwu asked incredulously. He bolted forward and grabbed Frank by the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "Frank...are you gonna...?"

"What do you think?" Frank chuckled. "Of course I am. Why shouldn't I?"

"Uh...no reason," Mwu stammered. He laughed. "It's just hard to believe...do you know when you're gonna ask her?"

"No clue. I'm hoping sometime soon. I bought it just for this trip, so I'm assuming it'll happen while we're down here." Frank had slung his golf bag over his shoulder. "Enough of this for now. Let's go get our balls."

"Yeah, I'm coming-" Mwu stopped when he heard his cell phone go off. He reached into his pocket and retrieved the device. "Hello? Yes...yes that's right...yeah, six o'clock..._yes_...yes I want that many! I know it's going to cost a lot...I understand that, yes...okay...six o'clock, correct...okay...thank you...be sure it's exactly like I asked...thank you...bye." He closed his phone and placed it back into his pocket.

Frank had stopped on the cart path just ahead and was staring back at him. "Plans for this evening?" Frank asked, his eyebrows raised in a mocking expression.

"Surprise for my wife," Mwu answered. He began to walk past Frank and down the fairway. "Hopefully Murrue will be in a good mood tonight after her trip to the spa."

Frank shook his head. "I still don't understand how women can spend all that money just to sit around and sweat."

"Frank...what did _you know who_ tell us about women at the academy?" Mwu reminded his friend.

"Women don't sweat, they _glow_," Frank said. "I know, Mwu, I know." They finally began to venture towards their golf balls.


	4. Chapter 4

The door to the suite opened slowly. Erica held onto the metal handle and opened the door little by little, trying to avoid the squeaking that so many doors did. She poked her head through the door and looked around. She could see the door to the balcony ajar and the breeze was catching the pale, white drapes in its wake. Erica closed the door quietly behind her and set her purse on the table nearby. She stretched her arms out towards her sides and rolled her head in a circular motion from side to side. Time at the spa had done her well, but the entire time there she couldn't help but think about her husband and how he was doing. John hadn't left the suite all day, she'd been told. She wondered if he was really all right.

Erica stepped towards the transparent glass door that led to the balcony and peered through the adjacent window. She saw John lounging in one of the chairs overlooking the view from their room. His legs were propped up on the black steel railing and he had an empty glass on the small table beside him. His left arm was in the sling, resting against his chest, with his right arm behind his head. An open book was splayed across his lap and every so often the breeze would turn a page absent mindedly. His breath was coming in gentle inhales and exhales through his nose, which gave him a peaceful aura like a young child taking an afternoon nap.

Taking extra care not to wake him, Erica stepped out onto the balcony. Much to her dismay, she saw John stir in the chair and open his eyes, forming them into little slits that barely let his dark eyes come into view. He smiled at her. "Hi," he whispered.

"Hi, yourself," Erica answered. She came beside him and sat down in another chair, scooting it close to his. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. The pain's almost completely gone, so that's a plus. Otherwise...aah...I've just been relaxing out here for most of the afternoon." John paused. "And what about you? What have you been up to on this _beautiful_ day in paradise?"

Erica smiled. "Well...we went to the spa like you told us to. I hit the steam room...spent some time in the baths...and then Murrue had me get a facial for some odd reason." John chuckled. "What's so funny?" Erica asked.

"Nothin'," John answered slyly. "Just the way you said facial. It sounded to me like _you_ think you needed it."

"I didn't say that," Erica retorted.

"And I'm glad you didn't." John brought his left hand to her face and gently stroked her cheek. He tucked a lock of brown hair behind her ear and said, "Because you don't need it at all. You're beautiful enough as it is."

Erica smiled and brushed bright crimson. "I'm glad to hear you say that." She leaned over him and kissed him gently on the lips. "You have no idea how worried I was for you, darling."

John chuckled. "Why did you bother worrying? I already told you that I was okay."

"Well I can't help it," Erica pouted. "I get worried when my husband gets hurt."

He kissed her. "And I'm grateful for it." John gingerly began to maneuver out of the chair. Erica helped him to his feet. He ran his fingers through his hair and said, "Now then...what say we go get something to eat. I'm starving!"

"Yeah, let's go eat. Where do you wanna go?"

John extended his left arm to her. "How 'bout we go to Albert's and get us some seafood? I feel like having some oysters."

Erica slipped her arm through his and said, "Can you break them open with one hand?"

He smiled down at her. "We'll just have to find out, now won't we?"

* * *

The beaches that border Waveland's premises is one of the whitest and most beautiful in the world. It stretched for miles towards the horizon in both directions, encompassing the entire ocean along its path that carved out the northern coast of Orb. Waveland is one of the larger cities on the beach and, like Waikiki in Hawaii, is one of the most popular tourist and civilian places to visit in the entire country.

Given that it was in the middle of the Spring season however, the resort wasn't all that crowded at this point in time. The same could be said for the public beaches just down the road from the hotel property. This consisted of about a two mile stretch of nothing but shops, seaside restaurants, nightclubs, and bars that attracted huge crowds in the summer. But this evening, there were relatively few people in the establishments. That of course, suited the couple seated at the bar inside the Big River Brewing Company just fine.

"And then after I hit the _one_ good tee shot I had all day...I hit the second shot with a seven iron...pfft...goes right into the sand trap beside the green!" Murrue let out a dejected sigh as she listened to Mwu's tale from his golf outing with Frank that afternoon. "Yeah, I know...it took me four damn shots to get out of that stuff. And then I three putted, which gave me an eight." He extended his arms wide across his torso. "And of course, Frank hits the green on his second shot...and then to top it off...he sinks his first put and birdies! I said to him, 'Way to rub it in my face, Frank!'" Mwu slapped his thigh with his right hand.

"Well, Frank _has_ been golfing for about ten years now, Mwu," Murrue reminded him. "Even _you_ weren't expecting to beat him on the first try were you?"

Mwu sighed. "No...I guess I wasn't. But that doesn't mean I didn't try to!"

"Yes, I know," Murrue laughed.

Mwu smiled. He laid his hand on her bear shoulder, covered only by the tiny strings of her light blue tank top. "That's all I wanted to hear from you after how bad I played." Murrue had her brown hair tied into a pony-tail which stretched to just above her shoulders. To go with the tank top, she had on white khaki shorts and black scandals with tiny flower petals on the straps. Mwu wore a simple red flowered shirt and khaki shorts. They had come together after Murrue had left the spa at about four and now the clock hands above the bar read six thirty. Sunset was coming, as the golden orb was sinking lower and lower in the sky to the west.

The man behind the bar returned to the couple with their drinks. "Here we are!" he announced. "One tequila for the gentleman...and one margarita on the rocks for lady. Enjoy!"

Both Mwu and Murrue clanked their drinks together in a toast and took small sips. Mwu puckered his lips together and clicked them apart. "Oh..._man_ that's sweet!"

Murrue smiled widely. "You have to take it easy with tequila, Mwu," she giggled against the rim of her glass.

Mwu stuck his tongue out and promptly put it back in his mouth. "I know that...geez...I've never had one this sweet, though."

It took Mwu several minutes to get over the first barrage of the beverage that touched his tongue. Finally, he got up the courage to take another sip. This one was less violent and he sighed in satisfaction after he downed it. Murrue laughed. "I take it you like it now, huh?"

"Very much, so. And yours?" Mwu asked.

"Delicious," Murrue said, bringing the glass to her red lips and drinking a tiny bit more. They drank their drinks sparingly, making sure that they did not go overboard. Getting drunk on the first night wasn't in either of their plans for this weekend.

While they did so, they talked of their days. Murrue outlined her day at the spa, where she'd practically had to drag Natarle to, but then afterward how her friend had not really wanted to leave. "That massage must've done her some good," Mwu suggested.

Murrue smiled. "Let's hope so. I wanted Natarle to have fun on this trip more than anything else, really. She deserves it more than we do after all she's done these past few months."

"I know what you mean. But then again, it's not like we didn't deserve this either, you know." Mwu smiled at her.

Murrue nodded. She glanced over his shoulder towards the beach. "The sun's going down." Mwu craned his neck and saw the sun just now beginning to dip below the horizon. He glanced at his watch. Seven o'clock. "We should probably be heading back now," Murrue said.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm kinda tired as it is." He was lying off course, but he stretched his arms up above his head and yawned to make it seem like he wasn't. "But do you think we'll have time for a little walk on the beach before we head back to the hotel?"

Her smile made his heart leap out of his chest. "Of course, dear." Mwu paid the tab for the drinks and took her by the hand.

There wasn't a soul to be found on the beach. This surprised the couple, because of the fact that it was sunset. However, they didn't mind the sudden privacy that had been afforded to them as a result. They held hands and walked slowly near the shore, the waves occasionally lapping against their feet. The ocean breeze was saltier than usual as it whipped their hair back and forth.

They stopped at a point on the beach just beyond the hotel property boundary. From where they stood, they could hear music playing from the bars and nightclubs in the city where they'd just been. The lights had begun to come on in the hotel windows, casting a peaceful glare upon the two buildings. Both of their stares however, were cast upon the sun as it began its slow disappearance under the horizon to the west, directly in front of them. Mwu's blue eyes trailed towards his wife beside him, her brown eyes now appearing to be colored pure gold with the sun's reflection. Murrue noticed his stare and turned to face him. "I thought we were supposed to be watching the sunset?" she asked innocently.

"We were," Mwu answered quietly. He reached up to gently stroke her cheek. The breeze blew strands of her hair against his fingers as he whispered, "But I think that this is much more beautiful to look at than the sun."

He slowly brought her face to his and kissed her. Murrue accepted it whole heartedly. Her arms encircled his neck and his strong hands held her tightly to him. The kiss continued on as the sun completely disappeared behind them, but this was entirely oblivious to the two of them. They were too concerned with one another to notice. His hands went lower on her body, holding her waist and stroked her. Murrue smiled against his lips and kissed him with even more reverence. His hand touched the back of her thigh, gliding across her smooth skin while his other hand rubbed her back. Slowly he began to lower her down onto the sand, her body touching down with the gentleness of a feather. Her fingers ran through his blond locks and she sighed. His hand stroked her thigh, moving up and down slowly, tickling her skin as she squirmed beneath him.

Finally, after a few minutes, she broke the kiss and smiled up at him. He returned the smile and opened his mouth to speak. She brought a finger to his lips and silenced him. "Not to put a damper on the romance..." she whispered, bringing her lips next to his ear, "but...I'm getting sand in my underwear."

He laughed through his nose. "That's not very comfortable, is it?"

"No it isn't." She glanced around. "The sun's gone down, I see."

He glanced to his right. "So it has."

"We should probably be heading back, now." He helped her to her feet. They dusted themselves off as best they could, but the wet sand still left some dirt patches on their clothes. "What time is it?" she asked him.

"About quarter to eight," he told her.

"Yeah. Let's head back now, it's getting dark." She started towards the hotel. He followed her. He glanced back down at his watch. He sighed. _I hope everything's ready like I asked.

* * *

_

The elevator came to a halt on the twenty-third floor. Frank stepped out of the lift and walked the short distance to his hotel suite. All during the journey his fingers were playing with the little black box in his pocket. He hadn't wanted anyone to notice it before he actually did it, but Mwu had seen it and spoiled the surprise. Hopefully, as far as Frank was concerned, he hadn't told anybody about it. But that didn't ease his fear that someone would tell her before he even got the chance to ask her himself.

He'd bought the box about two weeks before the trip, hoping that he would be able to give it to his girlfriend sometime while they were out here. He couldn't really resist the temptation of proposing at such a beautiful location and when the opportunity had come up, he had been elated. But now, he knew that he would have to do it here, or else his friend would probably pass the buck to someone else who would then tell her and that would be disastrous, both emotionally, and maybe even physically, knowing Natarle.

Frank fumbled around in his shirt pocket for his room card. Just in case, perhaps he'd better do it tonight, before someone else told her. He had called her a few minutes before to let her know he was coming, so he at least knew she was in. He slipped his card into the reader and it turned green with acceptance. Frank pulled down the door handle and opened the door slowly. He glanced inside. She wasn't anywhere to be seen. He shut the door quietly behind him and tossed his room card onto the table. He stopped. He listened carefully. He could barely hear someone breathing in the room to his right. Tiptoeing over to the doorway, Frank peered inside. There was a figure asleep in one of the beds. He ducked out of sight and took a deep breath. He grasped the box in his hand. _All right...here goes nothing_...

Slowly he began to make his way into the room. He came beside her sleeping form. He began to whisper her name, but stopped himself. He stared at her for several moments. He smiled. Natarle was fast asleep, tucked snugly under the covers, a smile on her lips. She looked so peaceful, Frank couldn't bear to wake her. She just looked so cute right now, he couldn't get up the nerve.

He lowered his face near hers and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Sweet dreams," he whispered. Natarle didn't even twitch.

* * *

"Do you still think we'll be able to hit the night scene downtown sometime in the next few days?" Mwu walked side by side with Murrue in the corridor leading to their hotel suite.

"I don't see why not," Murrue answered neutrally. "I'm sure Erica and John would love to go. Plus, I think Frank might be able to drag Natarle along, so the whole group should be able to go."

"Great," Mwu breathed. Murrue reached for her room card, but he stepped in front of her. "I'll get that, Murrue." He slid in his card and opened the door for her. "By the way Murrue," he said. "I forgot...what did you say was the one thing you would want in the whole world?"

"Besides you?" Murrue smiled.

"Of course, besides me," Mwu chuckled.

"I already told you a thousand times, Mwu," she said, stepping into their suite. "A garden. A garden big enough to fill an entire...room..."

Murrue's eyes widened and her mouth went aghast. All around her, from one end of the suite to the next, were flowers. Roses, daisies, petunias, sunflowers. Hundreds of them, lining the counter, the table, and couch. They sat on the television and some were taped to the walls. Murrue stepped into the mass, turning this way and that. She saw nothing but flowers all around her. "Oh my God..." she whispered.

Mwu stepped cautiously inside, not wanting to interrupt her bliss. He shut the door with a soft click and locked the door. "Mwu...did you do this?" he heard her ask.

He glanced at her and smiled. "Surprised?"

"My God...how...?" Murrue was smiling now, her eyes literally glowing as she looked at the beautiful flowers. She picked up a few and brought them to her nose. She smelled them and smiled. "Mwu, they're beautiful."

"All for you, Murrue." Mwu folded his arms. "I wanted to thank you for bringing me on this trip in the first place. But most of all...I did this because I love you, Murrue." He tossed his room card onto the nearby table. "Now then...what do you suppose we do with all these flowers?" He reached up and touched a rose's petals with his finger tips.

Suddenly, he was thrown back against the door by the sheer force of Murrue's tackle. She kissed him so fiercely his tongue caught the roof of his mouth. He wrapped her in his arms, but she squirmed free. "Mwu you little whipper snapper." Her fingers were unbuttoning his shirt. "You knew all along about this didn't you?"

"I paid for it, didn't I?" She pushed his shirt off of his shoulders and stroked his muscular chest. "Whoa! Someone's frisky tonight."

Her fingers were already unfastening his belt.

"Well, what do you think? After making my dreams come true, you deserve a reward...don't you?"

He grasped her hands with his. She glanced up at him. Her brown eyes met his. "That would be nice," he whispered gently. "But don't you think we should close the drapes first?" Murrue glanced quickly behind her and blushed bright red. "Besides...it's funner when we do it slow...isn't it?"

She smiled at him and kissed his nose. "You get the door...I'll get the windows." They separated. Murrue quickly made her way to the balcony door and locked it. She pulled the drapes in front of it and sealed them. Mwu grabbed a chair and brought it to the door. He placed it in front of the handle, holding it in place. He thought about handing a _Do Not Disturb_ sign on the outside of the door, but decided that it wouldn't be necessary.

He thought he smelled strawberries. Mwu turned around. He saw Murrue take a lit match and light a series of candles that sat on the kitchen counter and table beside them. He took her by the hand. Leading her into the middle of the room, he stroked her cheek and looked deep into her eyes. "I love you, you know that?"

"I love you too," Murrue whispered. She kissed him shortly and sweetly.

Her fingers touched his bear stomach and tickled him. He squirmed slightly as he held her in his arms, but not enough to impair with her work. Deftly, she unbuttoned his shorts. She took them down slowly, leaving him only in his boxers. He was visibly stretched against the fabric, which was rather uncomfortable for him.

He took her by the waist. "I should fix my hair," Murrue said. She reached behind her head and tugged at her scrunchie. She pulled it loose and allowed her brown hair to flow in its natural beauty. Several seconds passed with neither of them saying anything. Mwu felt for the hem of her tank top. Murrue knew it was her turn in their little game they liked to play in situations such as these. He lifted her shirt up to her stomach. Murrue brought her hands down to help him and slowly they lifted her tank top up and over her head together. Because of the warm, tropical climate they were in, Murrue had found no reason to wear a bra, which suited Mwu just fine.

He grasped her by her sides and just held her. Their eyes interlocked with one another. He leaned forward and began to kiss her neck. Murrue sighed in her throat as he began to nibble at her skin, biting at her earlobe gently. She could feel his tense lower region, rubbing against her thigh. She smiled. Reaching for his waist, she took hold of the waistband of his boxers and began to lower them. They pooled at his feet in a pile of thin fabric. His evident arousal made Murrue feel splendid.

Mwu returned from his exploration and kissed her lips. She licked his with her tongue, feeling the cool saliva developing across his lips. She thought she heard him whisper, "Your turn," but no words came out of his mouth. Murrue could feel his hands beginning to trek lower on her body. They were completely around her now, stroking her back with gentle caresses. When they reached her waist, his fingers began to make their way around her hips. Murrue smiled and glanced down as she felt them begin to tug at the waistband of her shorts. Ever so slowly, he undid the button and slid the zipper down as far as it would go. Murrue wiggled her hips slightly, as she felt his fingers reach beneath the thin material under her shorts. He slowly pulled them and her panties down together. Murrue stepped out of them and flicked them away with a quick movement of her ankles.

They stood before one another fully exposed, nothing standing between them. Mwu wrapped his arms around her and Murrue touched his chest. They looked deep into one another's eyes. Their lips met passionately, drinking deep into one another's mouths.

Murrue broke the kiss after what seemed like forever. "Mwu...we're covered with sand..." she whispered.

Mwu glanced down at himself and then at Murrue. He could see faint traces of sand in her brown hair and further down on her gorgeous body. "The shower?" he asked. She nodded.

They made their way slowly to the bathroom, never bothering to let each other out of their respective grasps. Murrue slid the shower door shut behind them and he turned on the water. It cascaded down on them in gentle torrents, soaking their intertwined bodies. Mwu ran his fingers through her hair, scrubbing out the sand and kissing her lips at the same time. Murrue kissed him back and cleaned his body as well.

Once that was done, they stood together and dried one another off with the soft, warm linen towels in the bathroom. "That was nice," Mwu said casually.

Murrue smiled at him. "Yes. And do you know why, husband?" He shook his head. She wrapped herself around him. "Because clean bodies makes love making that much better."

He grinned slyly at her. He scooped her up in his strong arms as she yelped in surprise. He carried her across the suite in long strides, passing row upon row of flowers along the way. She glanced around the bedroom. Wild flowers covered both beds from end to end. Mwu gently laid her down onto one of the beds, the flowers making the mattress only more comfortable. Mwu paused and glanced down at Murrue's beautiful figure below him. She reached for a flower and smelled it. "Beautiful."

Mwu crawled on top of her and looked her in the eyes. "Not as beautiful as you, love." He kissed her.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Was that hot or what? 


	5. Chapter 5

A cool breeze was blowing through the open window inside the bedroom of the hotel suite. That, coupled with the pleasant humming of the air conditioner a few meters away, was enough to slowly drag Frank out of his slumber. He blinked his brown eyes twice and then brought his right hand over them. After several seconds, his eyes were able to get used to the light and he sat up in bed. He twitched his mouth and stuck out his tongue. He raised his eyebrows and smiled. He rolled his neck in both directions and then glanced at the other bed to his left. It was empty, the covers pushed out in a manner that meant someone had vacated it just a little bit ago. Frank smiled to himself. Natarle was always an early riser.

Standing up gingerly, Frank stretched his arms out behind him and went towards the closet where his suitcase lay. He got dressed and walked slowly into the main room of the suite. He reached into the jacuzzi and playfully splashed some warm water up into his face. The liquid trickled down his face and caught in his mustache hairs. Frank combed them out with his index finger. He heard a quiet noise just a little ways away. He glanced at the door to the bathroom and found it to be closed. The sound he could hear was running water coming from behind the door. Natarle was in the shower, no doubt. Frank found himself thinking about his girlfriend behind the closed door, but quickly shook his head to abolish the thought.

He poured himself some coffee which was already sitting nice and hot inside the pot. Frank took a sip and went to the front door. The local newspaper was sitting at the foot of the door and Frank picked it upand broughtit inside. He sat down at the table and filtered through the paper to find the sports section. He'd had money riding on the big soccer game that had happened last night. He cursed himself when he realized that he'd lost twenty bucks on the game.

The bathroom door opened as Frank took another gulp from his mug, the black coffee burning his throat as it trickled down. Natarle emerged wearing a robe that Frank had bought her as a present just a few months ago. It fit her slender figure perfectly. Natarle saw him sitting at the table and smiled. "Good morning," she said sleepily.

"Morning yourself," Frank replied. He turned the page in the paper and began to read more headlines. "Sleep well?"

Natarle had gone over to the counter in order to pour herself some coffee. "I did. Best night sleep I've had in quite a while, I must admit."

"You think your time at the spa had something to do with it?" Natarle turned around to see him staring at her from over the top of his paper. His glance quickly went back to the page. She picked up her mug and began to make her way towards the table. "As a matter of fact, I think I actually enjoyed going to the spa yesterday." She sat down across from him and crossed her legs casually under the table. "I suddenly feel more relaxed than I have in ages...mmm...not to mention that massage therapist must have been sent down from heaven..."

"What time did you get back?"

"At about seven. Murrue went to the city with Mwu while Erica and John went for dinner. I came back here and ordered room service. It was actually pretty good for hotel food," Natarle admitted.

"What do you expect, they say this place has got the best food in the entire country for hotels," Frank added. Absent mindedly he added, "Not to mention the prettiest women."

Natarle cocked her head to the side. "Is that a compliment, Frank?"

"It was intended to be," he answered. He moved his paper down so he could look at her across the table. "I wouldn't bother insulting you if I knew you'd kick my ass, now would I?" Natarle smiled. Frank said, "Did you go to sleep early?"

"At about eight, so yes," Natarle said.

"That's about when I got back. I went down to the restaurant and saw John and Erica. I got back at about eight thirty and just went to sleep. Though I have to admit," he chuckled, "the air conditioner _was_ turned up pretty high, Natarle."

"I know, I can't help it if I'm used to sleeping when it's a little cool out," she said innocently.

"I know, I know," Frank answered. "So you say you had a good time at the spa."

"Yes. I'd go back every day if I could. The place was so peaceful, so quiet..." She closed her eyes as she sighed.

"Go on, I'm listening."

"Ah...that massage really did wonders for me. I feel like a whole new woman, to tell you the truth." Frank smiled behind his paper. "And that will make it easier for me to finish those papers today."

Frank frowned behind the thin pages. He folded his paper quickly and saw Natarle already on her feet, heading towards the bedroom. "Natarle, wait!"

Bare feet creeping across the carpeted floor, Natarle went into the bedroom and retrieved a flat piece of metal from inside the closet. "You're not planning on doing work are you?" Natarle glanced behind her to find Frank standing in the doorway, hands on his hips, a displeased look on his face.

"I have to do it, Frank," Natarle said, brushing past him.

"What do you mean you _have to_?" he said in a strong voice. "Natarle!"

"Frank, please. I've got to." She plugged the lab top into one of the sockets near the table and opened the screen. "I _am_ a high ranking Intelligence official and I have work to do every day. I can't help that, neither can you. I know I'm supposed to be on vacation, but these things take priority." Frank sighed angrily. "I know you're upset, but-Hey!"

The plug was literally ripped from the socket, barely holding itself together as Frank grabbed the lab top in his hands and lifted it from the table. "Frank, what are you doing!" Natarle shouted, but he was already placing the device in the closet. Natarle huffed after him and grabbed him by the shoulder. "What do you think you're-!"

"That's what I should really be asking you, isn't it?" Frank interrupted loudly, whirling around quickly, his eyes angry. "Like what the hell you think you're doing trying to work at a time like this?"

"It's my right and duty to do so and you know it!" Natarle maintained.

"Your duty?" Frank said incredulously. His voice softened and he took her by the shoulders. "Natarle...when are you gonna get it through your head that you don't have to do everything yourself. That your duty doesn't extend to things that you can count on someone else to do." She didn't answer. "You're on vacation, Natarle. Come on, work is the last thing you should have on your mind at this point and juncture. We've been here for only a day and already you seem to want to go back home already."

"But-"

"No buts," he said. "You made a promise, remember? You promised that you wouldn't talk about the outside world to anyone...not even yourself. And you've already broken that promise a day after you made it. That's not very trustworthy, now is it?" She bit her lip and remained silent, her violet eyes didn't meet his. "Come on Natarle...you know you want to relax and have some fun...that bull you've been worried about doesn't even need doing at this time and place. Sometimes I think you believe you're still fighting a war out there, you know?"

Natarle met his eyes with a shocked expression on her face. "How can you say that?"

"Look at yourself," Frank said. "You're at the most luxurious hotel in the entire nation, a beautiful beach and ocean just beyond your window...and you wanna do some stupid paperwork which will take up your entire day? That's no different than the attitude you had last year." Natarle closed her mouth slowly. Her expression changed to one that seemed pained, perhaps even sad. "Am I wrong?" Frank whispered.

Natarle slowly shook her head, her eyes beginning to brim with mist. He was right. She had been acting too serious this entire time. How could she have allowed herself to become swallowed by this so-called duty she was supposed to keep. "I take it you're still mad at me," she whispered painfully.

Frank bit his lower lip and paused. His hands moved up to her face and turned it slowly to face his. He kissed her lips warmly. Natarle returned the kiss softly, her spine tingling as she did so. "How could I stay mad at you?" he smiled, once they broke for air.

He released her and headed into the other room. He downed the last of his coffee and set the mug in the sink with a thud. "I'm going out," he announced.

"Where?" Natarle asked quietly, from a short distance away.

"I don't know...I figured I may go check out the corral reef down the beach...do some scuba diving. You wanna join me?" he asked kindly. He had already secured a backpack over his shoulders that contained his provisions for the day.

Natarle paused. "I don't know..." she said.

"Fine," Frank said quickly, turning towards the door. "I'll see you back here tonight, then."

"Frank, wait!" Natarle said, reaching towards him, but keeping her feet still in their position. His hand was on the door handle, as if he were just waiting to bolt out the door and leave her to herself. He slowly turned his head to face her. Her face looked so helpless and sad that it made his heart ache.

He sighed. "I'll be waiting in the lobby. If you want to come and join me...it's your decision. I won't be made if you don't." With that, he opened the door and ventured out into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

Natarle puckered her lips and leaned against the wall softly, clenching her fists as she did so. How could she have been so stupid as to think he would allow her to do paperwork on a day like this. _A day like this?_ Natarle made her way towards the balcony, stepping out onto the smooth surface and into the morning atmosphere. The ocean breeze was blowing quietly today, still smelling of its usual salt and stinging her eyes a bit. The breeze whipped the curtails of her robe and made her shiver. Other than that however, there wasn't anything that looked a bit demoralizing about this scene. The sun was shining off to the distance behind the hotel, casting its glare upon the white sand beaches down below where she stood. The white waves broke and smashed into the shore with their usual whoosh, and the sea gulls called out to her from over the sea. Down below her, Natarle could see couples already out for early morning strolls. She noted that that very well could and should be her down there with her boyfriend. She knew that Frank was a licensed scuba diver.One had to be in the military, and that it was one of his favorite recreational activities whenever he came to the sea. Natarle too was licensed to take part, and she also enjoyed the sights of the underwater ballet that it was. But, she noted, she didn't have anything to wear...

Suddenly, Natarle ran back inside, leaving the balcony door open in her wake. She dashed to the bedroom closet and wrestled her suitcase out. She ripped it open and dug through the materials she'd packed inside it. Buried at the bottom of her suitcase, was what she was searching for. She picked up the material in her hands and held it, feeling its soft fabric run against her skin. She'd bought it just before they'd left for the trip last week, almost as an afterthought. Back when she was young, her strict parents had absolutely forbid the things, claiming they were too revealing and that Natarle shouldn't allow herself to be seen with one. However, now that she was on her own, those rules didn't necessarily have to apply to her, Natarle thought. Did she dare...? She smiled to herself. _You really have no choice, remember?_ Frank's customary phrase stuck in her mind as she went into the bathroom to get dressed.

* * *

The door to Erica and John's suite opened with a squeak and the couple stepped out into the corridor together. "We're heading downtown, correct?" John asked quietly.

"Yes. I told you I wanted to get some shopping done and you said that you'd come with," Erica reminded him. "Remember?"

John smiled. "Yes, I remember. I would never break a promise to you, now would I?"

He kissed her gently. "Is your arm going to be okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll just have to watch where I walk and make sure I don't bump into anything...or trip and fall down..." Erica poked his left shoulder and narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm kidding!" he smiled.

"You said you wouldn't make me feel bad about it," Erica said. "I still _do_ feel bad about what happened."

"Okay, I'm sorry. That was immature."

"Nice to hear you admit it," Erica said playfully. She smiled at him. "Just promise me you'll be careful down there."

"I will, don't worry," he said in his deep, soothing voice. "By the way, are the others joining us this morning?"

"Murrue and Mwu are. Then she told me they're going to the beach this afternoon, so we'll be able to spend some time with them," Erica told him. She ran her fingers through her brown hair and secured a scrunchie into it, making it into a bun at the back. "As for Frank and Natarle, I think they're going down to the beach this morning, but I'm not entirely sure."

"I saw Frank leave a little bit ago," John put in. "Natarle's probably gonna be right behind him."

"Hopefully, that is," Erica responded quietly. "Look, here comes Murrue and Mwu now."

Down the corridor, the door to the other couple's suite swung open. Murrue stepped out first, a broad smile adorning her face. She was wearing a blue and green sun dress with white sandals. A bright yellow daffodil was kneaded into her brown hair, making her appear even more beautiful than she already was. Mwu followed, sunglasses covering his eyes and his usual cocky smile plastered across his lips. He wore a t-shirt and shorts. They whispered something to one another that neither Erica or John could hear and kissed lightly before joining their friends.

"How was the surprise?" Erica asked Murrue, once she managed to get her counterpart a good distance away from their husbands.

"Fantastic," Murrue answered simply. She pointed to the daffodil in her hair and said, "He gave me a lot of these last night."

"Aww, that's so nice."

Behind them, Mwu asked, "How's the arm, buddy?"

"Fine. Getting better, which is nice," John admitted. "Still kind of stiff, but I'll get over it."

"Great." He glanced ahead at the women who were already walking towards the elevator. "Are we really going shopping this morning?"

"Hey, it was their idea. I just went along with it," John responded. "Besides, I already made Erica cry once on this trip and I really don't want to see her upset again."

"Good point. Well...I suppose I can manage to get through this morning all right. Murrue shouldn't be too anxious with her spending while we're down here," Mwu smiled. "Especially since I hid the credit cards before she woke up this morning."

"You mean the one's under the mattress and in the flower pots?" Mwu snapped his head to the right to find Murrue smiling cheerfully back at him. In her hands, she held the rectangular plastic shapes that Mwu had tried to hide. "You really need to work on your hiding skills, husband." Mwu sighed in anguish. He sulked all the way to the city.

* * *

The lobby of the hotel building was beautifully decorated. The object that stood out the most was the huge fountain of water in the shape of a dolphin in the middle of the lobby, where guests would throw pennies and other coins into the water for good luck. Besides the check in desk, there was also a restaurant, a buffet that served standard continental breakfasts, and a small shop where guests could buy the usual things that they involved in their lives like newspapers and magazines.

Frank held one of the magazines in his hand as he sat on the edge of the fountain near the dolphin's tail fin. He checked his watch and sighed. She still hadn't come. He went back to his article and continued reading. The article was on the local soccer game which Frank had lost twenty dollars on the previous day. The specifics weren't all that glamorous. His team had lost five to nothing, a slaughter by soccer standards.

Occasionally, Frank would glance at the elevator and at the people filing out of the lift. Still no sign of Natarle. Frank acted casual however, pretending not to be too concerned, though inside he was tearing himself apart for his actions earlier in the morning.

He felt warmth beside him suddenly and his nostrils flared with a spicy scent when he inhaled. He smiled. "Glad to see you made it." He put down the magazine and turned to his left, where he found Natarle sitting cross legged beside him. She was smiling and had on a pair of black sunglasses that hid her violet eyes, plus a cherry red, low necked t-shirt and denim jean shorts that did much to reveal her gorgeous legs that no one other than Frank had probably seen. She carried a small hand bag over her shoulder like a purse and held it close to her.

Natarle chuckled through her nose. "I really had no choice, now didn't I?"

Frank stood up and gestured towards the door. "Well then, now that we have an understanding, shall we be going?" Natarle stood up and began to walk beside her boyfriend. As they headed out the door, Frank slipped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry for this morning."

"Don't be," Natarle reassured him. "After all, it's not like I haven't seen you mad before," she added slyly, getting a much needed laugh out of his throat.


	6. Chapter 6

The automatic doors that guarded the entrance to the small building that was the Waveland Spa's water recreational center, slid open quietly, admitting the two individuals into the cool place. Besides scuba diving, which was their objective for the day, the place also was where people could sign up for parasailing, water skiing, and snorkeling. There wasn't much to look at inside the place, but then again, it really didn't need anything flashy to get people into the building, partly because it was the only place in the area where individuals could rent the equipment necessary for these water based activities.

The young girl behind the desk couldn't be more than twenty. She had long black hair flowing behind her in small curls, wore too much lipstick and eye shadow, and was too interested in the magazine she was reading to notice the new arrivals. It wasn't until they were directly in front of her that she took her eyes off of the outfit she'd been staring at for the past ten minutes. The man was about five nine, she guessed, with short brown hair, neatly combed, and a matching mustache, also neatly combed. The woman was about the same height with short black hair and dark red lips. Taking a deep breath, the young girl put on her plastic smile and spoke in her work appropriate cheerful voice.

"Can I help you two on this beautiful day in paradise?"

Frank could tell that the girl was just playing the part of an employee, but he went along with it anyway. "Yes, we're here to rent some scuba diving equipment..."

"Well, you've come to right place," she said. "May I see your licenses, please?" Natarle produced hers and Frank placed them both in front of her. "Okay...military people, huh?" They both nodded. "Everything seems to be in order then...will you be needed aqualungs on this day?"

Natarle nodded when Frank glanced her way. "Yes. We'll need them, air tanks, goggles, and basically everything else. We're going out to see the reef."

"That's the place to go diving," she responded. Frank paid the entire fee. "All right then, I'll have the guys in the back get your equipment and there will be a boat waiting out back for you to use, if you wish."

"I think we'll do that. Thank you."

A few minutes later, both Natarle and Frank were sitting comfortably in the small, white speed boat that was going to be their mode of transportation for the rest of the morning. Two young men finished loading their diving equipment into the boat and one started the motor. "When you're finished, just bring the boat back here and signal one of us that you're done with it!" he informed them over the roar of the engine.

"All right, thank you!" Frank turned back towards the steering wheel and put the boat in gear. Slowly but surely, he eased the craft away from the dock and pointed the bow towards the open ocean. The boat sped across the waves and away from shore at about ten knots. Frank knew it could go faster, but he wasn't thinking about going fast today. Natarle was sitting on the side of the boat, occasionally dangling her fingers into the cool sea below. She had a smile on her face, which seemed to signify, at least to Frank's point of view, that she was having fun. _Finally_, he sighed to himself.

The coral reef was about half a mile off shore and when they got near the place where the water got shallower, Frank brought the boat to an easy stop. "We're here."

"How deep is the water?" Natarle asked, leaning over the edge and staring into the blue waves.

"About forty feet, they said. But they said that the reef is beautiful and they've got lots of fish down there and stuff," Frank informed her. "Here, could you give me a hand with the air tanks?"

Natarle came over to help get the air tanks ready for the dive. They secured the valves and made sure the air was fully compressed. She carefully checked her goggles for signs of punctures or holes and didn't find any. The same could be said for the cord to the air tank, which seemed plenty strong when she gave it a small tug.

Beside her, Frank had already removed his shirt. His strong abs seemed to gleam in the sunlight. He passed Natarle the bottle of sun screen and she squeezed some of the white liquid into her palms and rubbed it together. She spread it across her arms and then her legs. She dabbed a little bit on her nose, cheeks, and ears just in case. Natarle set the bottle down behind her and turned her head towards Frank. He was busy working the boat's anchor controls so that it wouldn't go wayward while they were under the water. Natarle sighed. She took hold of her shirt and quickly lifted it over her head. She applied some lotion to her chest and abdomen, rubbing it in until it was just barely visible. She then unfastened and removed her shorts.

When the clank of the anchor settling onto the bottom sounded through the boat, Frank pulled a lever, locking the boat's drive in place. He then turned back towards the rear of the boat where Natarle was and stopped. She was folding her discarded clothes neatly and placing them in her hand bag. But what really caught Frank's attention was what she was wearing now...or rather, wasn't wearing. She was wearing a simple white bikini with tiny green flowers dotting both pieces from front to back, making it appear green all over, rather than white. She looked so beautiful, Frank couldn't help but stare.

"What's the matter, Frank?" Frank shook his head and snapped out of his daze. Natarle was grinning slyly back at him. She'd seen him staring.

He blushed bright red and turned away. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "It's just...I've never seen you dressed like that before..." He was kicking himself inside his mind.

He felt her take hold of his chin and bring her to face him. "Frank..." she whispered, "...you've already seen me _naked_."

Frank smiled. "Touche."

They each got into their aqualungs and secured their air tanks on their backs. "You ready?" Frank asked.

"After you," Natarle inclined.

"No, I insist," Frank responded.

"Please, you first," Natarle said.

"Oh, but ladies first."

"_I said_, you first." Frank squealed as Natarle knocked him backwards into the water, his figure disappearing beneath the waves in a giant splash. Natarle laughed as she slid her breathing tube into her mouth. She quickly followed suit over the side and into the cool, blue water.

Bubbles circled all around Frank's body as he slowly descended into the depths. The light from the sun cast glares that appeared to be straight lines into the water, creating a beautiful picture beneath the waves. His feet, covered with large flippers to give him propulsion, kicked in the water, sending him down towards the rocky atoll known as a coral reef. The coral was of varying colors such as red and brown, stretched across a wide area of the sea bed about forty feet below the surface of the ocean. Small fish darted in and out of small holes etched into the artwork and scattered amounts of plant life dotted the sandy bottom. Frank's brown eyes couldn't seem to stay glued on one particular spot for too long. As soon as he locked onto one object, he would see another that demanded his attention.

He dove down until he could brush against the bottom with his fingers, digging them into the wet sand and sloshing around in a circle. Glancing upwards, Frank noticed Natarle's form gliding gracefully through the water towards him. Ducking behind a piece of coral, he gestured for her to join him. When she did, he pointed to a section of the reef that stretched out to the ocean for about a hundred feet in a spiral pattern. She nodded back at him and they were off.

The water was cool down here, they could feel it through their wet suits. With the sun barely providing any light down at these depths, the scenery was cast in a dark blue with the sea at the backdrop. Frank swam ahead and pointed his finger at various spots where multi colored fish swam by without a care in the world. Both he and Natarle were captivated by the underwater ballet that the reef boasted.

They followed the coral spiral until it reached a lump that was arrayed in a star shape. In the middle was an array of plant life that was angled towards the surface. Upon closer inspection, it seemed as though the plants were glowing. Turning his head to face his girlfriend, Frank extended his hand towards her. Natarle paused. He saw her smile behind her mask. She clasped her hand in his own. With a swift kick, they set off towards the unknown.

It turned out that the glowing sensation that was covering the plants was in fact a result of certain fish inhabiting the vegetation. These fish were rainbow colored, but with white stripes along their sections. They discovered that when the dim rays of sun reached these fish, it caused their white stripes to glow.

Frank looked at Natarle. She had a smile on her face behind her breathing tube. That brought a smile to his face as well. They spent the rest of their time underwater hand in hand as they circled back and forth across the reef.

When they reached the surface, they both clambered into the boat. They took off their aqualungs and laid down upon the hardwood bottom of the boat. Frank applied some sun lotion to his naked chest and lay beside Natarle, his hands reaching behind his head in a pose of relaxation.

They stayed silent for some time. Neither of them even so much as glanced at one another. They stared upwards at the blue sky and yellow sun above them. Every once in a while a sea gull or a plane would pass by overhead and break the still silence. With the exception of these events, there wasn't a sound to be heard.

"What do you think?" he said, his voice partially obscured by a yawn.

Natarle blinked. "About what?" she whispered back.

"About coming down here." Frank brushed a finger through his mustache and blew a piece of lint out of it. He pushed his hand into the air and swivelled it around. "Do you think we did the right thing by coming?"

She couldn't help but smile. "This coming from you, Mr., 'I can't wait to get out of this workplace and onto the beach!'?"

He laughed. "Yeah I know, it's strange."

Natarle propped herself up on her right arm and turned towards him. He cocked his head in her direction. "You know what...we did make the right decision. I know that for sure now. Before this...I didn't know for what reason I decided to come. I thought it was because you all made me. But...now I realize...that I _wanted_ to come all along. To see that," she said, gesturing towards the sea. "To have a chance to escape from reality and enjoy myself. I just...didn't think that I could bring myself to do that." She fingered a lock of hair across his brow, tracing it in different patterns. "But since you talked me into it...I want to thank you. Thank you for forcing me to come with you."

His hand moved up to gently stroke hers. "You're welcome."

She laid her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her figure. He brought his lips to her ear. "When did you get that?"

Natarle blushed. She responded heartily, "Last week. I figured I would need something to wear in the water. As a matter of fact, it's the first time I've ever worn a bikini."

"Really?" Frank sounded stunned."

"My parents didn't see the point in them," she said, nodding. "You know how they were...strict discipline and utmost respect for yourself and your body. I guess they thought I'd be disrespecting myself if I wore one."

"Do you think you're disrespecting yourself?" he asked. "Because I don't."

She paused. "No. I actually rather like wearing it." She tugged at the strap of her top and maneuvered it back into its proper place on her shoulder. "What do you think?" She narrowed her eyes. "...you think it makes me look...sexy...?"

He grinned slyly. "You know the phrase 'that makes you look sexy'," he whispered against her lips. "Well I tend to think of it a little differently." She cocked her head to the side inquisitively. "I rather think that _you_ make _it_ look sexy."

Natarle leaned down and kissed him warmly. His strong hand stroked her smooth back as they held one another. Minutes passed and she laid her head upon his shoulder again. He whispered her name. When she didn't answer, he glanced down and found her eyes closed, fast asleep. He gently stroked her shoulder. Kissing her forehead, he wished her sweet dreams. A few moments later, he too was asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

A large splash rocked the eighty degree water of the hotel pool. Rocketing down towards the bottom, Erica dove down in perfect form, her body curving upwards just before her nose touched the bottom of the pool. Her body glided along the bottom, the only movement coming from her feet kicking gently in the water behind her. She broke the surface, sending water cascading in all directions. Her hair fell around her face and into her open mouth as she gulped in oxygen. She ran her hands through her hair and moved it out of her face and eyes. Leaning forward, she swam towards the edge of the pool and brought herself out of the water. Turning back towards the diving board, Erica shook her head wildly and sent tiny droplets of water everywhere.

There wasn't another soul to be found in the pool area, which allowed Erica free access to the diving board and the entire pool for that matter. After spending the morning in town shopping, she and John had returned to their suite and eaten lunch. After seeing the pool from the window of their suite, Erica suggested they go down for a swim. John playfully reminded her of his condition and she immediately reminded _him_ that it didn't mean he couldn't _sit_ by the pool. He had agreed to accompany her then. Slipping on a simple red, one piece bathing suit, Erica had almost literally flown down the hallways of the hotel, eager to reach the clean, refreshing waters of the pool.

She climbed up the ladder to the diving board, managing to keep a firm grip upon the rungs even with her wet fingers and feet. Reaching the top, on tip toes, she crept down the straight, bending board until she was right on the edge, toes dangling perilously over the front part of the white material. Erica raised her arms up in the air and closed her eyes. With a quick jolt of her knees, she bounced upwards on the board and sprung into the air. Without using her hands, Erica tucked her knees into her middle and rolled over on her head. Quickly, her figure completed a front flip in mid-air and was suddenly pointed straight down towards the water. Arms and legs extended, she landed with barely a splash in the water below.

It was like this for quite a while. Erica was enjoying herself, so she couldn't find a reason why she should stop. It wasn't until every muscle in her body was screaming at her that she did stop and proceeded out of the pool and onto the side.

A short distance away, John lounged in one of the low backed pool side chairs. His injured arm was spread across his chest, still in its sling. His other hand fingered the cold glass on the ground underneath his chair. Sunglasses protected his eyes from the sunlight that was directly overhead of him now, which allowed him to be able to stare into its mighty glare for as long as he liked. And he did...until he saw something else that demanded his attention even more.

"Hi, handsome." The ends of his mouth curled up into a smile. Erica was drying herself with a towel and sat down on the chair beside him.

"Hi," John murmured in his deep voice. "Having fun, I presume?"

"Much. It's nice having a pool this huge to yourself," she commented. "And how is my husband doing?" she added, reaching over to gently stroke his arm.

"Better. Pain's almost all gone."

"Good. I think I'll go get myself a drink, then. What kind do you have?" she asked.

"Miami Vice," he responded. He brought the dark red liquid to his lips and took a small sip. He flicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "It's pretty good once you get used to it."

"Lot of alcohol in it?" Erica inquired.

"Uh-huh," John said. He chuckled. "It's good, though."

"That's nice. I'll go get myself my usual," Erica said, stepping into her scandals and starting over towards the nearby bar on the other side of the pool.

"Double martini on the rocks?" Erica stopped. She smiled back at John. He smiled. "What can I say, I know my wife." She shook her head and giggled. _How does he do that?_ she wondered, before heading for the counter.

* * *

"Okay, is that enough?"

"Yes, that should be enough, dear." Mwu got to his feet. He'd just finished rubbing sun lotion into Murrue's back. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her ever since they arrived at the beach about fifteen minutes ago. Not after she had slipped off her sun dress and now appeared before him in just a pale blue bikini, that is. "Remember to put some on your face," she reminded him, as she leaned back into her chair, back pressed against the towel acting as a barrier between her body and the rubber straps of the chair's back.

"I know, I know. I haven't forgotten what happened last time." Mwu squirted a tiny bit of the white substance onto his index finger and dabbed it across his nose in an arc shape. "You sure you still won't forgive me...?" he asked.

"After you got sunburned on our honeymoon so bad that you couldn't leave the bed for _two whole days_, NEVER!" Murrue scolded him. She paused. She looked up into the sky. "On the other hand..." she murmured slyly.

"That's what I thought," Mwu laughed. "You gonna be okay here by yourself?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. I brought a book." Reaching into her bag, she withdrew she novel she'd started on the plane ride over, or at least tried to start before she fell asleep. "You can go off and do what you want. I won't move."

"Okay, then. I'm going for a swim. I'll be back in a little bit." With that said, he took off in a trot across the burning hot sand and towards the water.

Murrue had an umbrella casting a shadow over her chair, which helped her in her reading. She managed to get through a chapter and start another before an interrupting call stopped her concentration. "Well, didn't think I'd find you here, sis!"

Murrue smiled up at Frank's figure, standing above her. "Frank! How was scuba diving?"

"Great. We loved it." Murrue noticed Natarle standing behind him. "Didn't we?"

"Mm-hmm," Natarle mumbled. "It was fun."

"If you're looking for Mwu, he's over by the water, Frank." Murrue pointed towards the shore where Mwu was now just stepping out of the water after a swim. He saw Frank and waved his hand towards him.

"Hey, Frank, grab the frisbee and let's toss it a little!" he called.

"In the bag?" he asked Murrue. She nodded. Rummaging quickly through whatever it was that was inside the bag, Frank finally found the object of his desires and flung the flat disc out towards Mwu, who caught it on the run, down the beach. "Natarle, will you be okay here?"

"I'll stay with Murrue, don't worry," Natarle told him. He blew her a kiss and went off after his friend.

Natarle brought over another chair from a stack that was sitting beside an old wooden shack. As she dragged it down towards their designated spot, she couldn't help but overhear what seemed like a wolf's whistle come from somewhere down the beach. She glanced around her, but saw nothing that would attract her attention to the culprit. She sighed heavily. _I knew this was probably going to happen..._she reminded herself. Women in bathing suits often attracted the attention of normally unwanted calls and stares.

She finally brought the chair beside Murrue's and lay down upon it. "So what was his reaction?" Murrue asked casually after a while.

Natarle smiled. "He stared." She could hear Murrue giggle beside her. "But then again..."

"_That's to be expected_," they both said together, both of them sharing a laugh.

Further down the beach, Mwu and Frank were enjoying themselves with a little game of frisbee. "So how'd she like it?" Frank asked. "The surprise that is?"

"She loved it," Mwu answered, tossing the frisbee. "At least I _think_ she did..."

"_Please don't elaborate_..." Frank ordered. "I don't want to know what you and my sister do at night."

Mwu laughed. "But you just thought about it didn't you!"

"Ugh...real nice Mwu!" He let the frisbee go with a vengeance. It flew high into the air and was only saved from taking a dunk in the sea by a diving catch from Mwu. "Nice catch!" Frank yelled.

"Thanks!" Mwu came back onto the shore and shook his head wildly, his blonde hair sailing around in an unorganized fashion, sending huge droplets of salt water everywhere. Lowering his voice, he called out, "So did you ask her?"

Frank caught the throw from his friend and held the frisbee for a short time, turning it over in his hands. "No, not yet."

"Why not, man? You've already got the ring, so just do it," Mwu said.

After a series of throws and catches, Frank added, "It's not that simple, Mwu. I don't think it's like you and Murrue where you're obviously in love with one another. It's different between us."

"How?" Mwu asked. "You both love each other don't you?"

"Yeah. That's the problem. I don't want to walk up to her at random and just say 'Will you marry me?', I want it to be something we always will remember," Frank maintained.

"But won't you remember it anyway, no matter what you do?" Mwu pointed out. "That's how it is, isn't it?"

Frank paused. "I guess...but still, I want to do something special for her. To show her that I really care."

"Well, don't wait too long. We'll have to go back home soon, buddy." Mwu tossed the frisbee back to Frank.

Back at the chairs, Murrue asked Natarle, "Are you finally starting to relax?"

"Yeah. At last," she chuckled, "even I'm admitting that now."

Murrue laughed. "What I want to know is what will all the you-know-who's back you-know-where think when you say that you actually had fun for once. They probably won't even believe you?"

"Oh, they will," Natarle responded.

"How?" Murrue asked.

"When I show up at you-know-what on Monday with a tan." Both of them laughed long and hard.

* * *

After dinner that night, all three couples met up with one another at a local bar for drinks. When darkness fell upon the resort, they retreated back to their individual suites. Natarle plopped down hard into one of the cushioned chairs inside her and Frank's suite. "What a day..." she whispered.

"Tired?" Frank asked. She nodded. "Feels just like work doesn't it?" Natarle eyed him quizzically. "Only this time you actually had fun getting tired," he finished. Natarle shut her eyes, smiled, and shook her head.

"All I want to do is lay down and relax for a while," she murmured, the words barely escaping from her throat.

"Yeah, me too. Hey, you want a drink?" Frank's head had disappeared into the refrigerator. "They were kind enough to leave us a complimentary bottle of champagne."

"Oh yeah? What kind?" Natarle asked.

"Ballatoire, I think...I'm not really sure." He emerged with the bottle held close to his eyes. "Yep, Ballatoire. Drink?"

"Please." Frank poured them two glasses and handed one to Natarle. "A toast," he offered, raising his glass. "To us...for having the guts to relax for once in our lives." Both of them drank the sweet concoction down.

Frank wiped his mouth with his forearm and said, "Well...how 'bout we relax a little more before we go to sleep? We haven't had a chance to try the jacuzzi out, after all."

Natarle frowned. He was already drawing off his shirt. "Frank..." He made his way over to the hot tub and was turning the water on when he heard her call his name again. "What?" he asked.

She folded her arms and smirked. "You're not just making up excuses to see me in a bathing suit, are you?"

Frank's mouth opened and his eyebrows scrunched. "_No..._I just thought," he said firmly, "that we could have a little time to ourselves tonight." He was slowly climbing into the tub.

Natarle closed her eyes and shook her head. _Oh well..._ she thought. She stood up and fingered the button on her shorts. "Save me some room, Frank."

She climbed in beside him and lowered herself into the hot water. She tensed against the sensation, but eventually allowed herself to be enveloped by the heat. "Nice, huh?" Frank whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Leaning back against him, she responded, "Uh-huh." They sat in silence, letting themselves be lost in the bubbles that were rapidly surrounding them.

"Lot better than work, right?" She glanced sideways at him. He was grinning at her.

"Stop asking me that," she answered gruffly. "You already know the answer."

"No, I don't think I don't," he said.

"_Yes,_ it's better than work."

"Good. Finally, no work for the next few days," he responded. He closed his eyes.

Natarle eyed him for a few seconds. Slowly, a smirk came to her lips. "That's what you think."

Frank's eyes snapped open. He turned his head to face her. "What's that supposed to mean?" he whispered.

She maneuvered through the water and straddled him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hissed, "What would you say if I gave you an assignment for _tonight_? One that involves you...this hot tub...and _me_." Her breath was a gentle breeze against his lips.

He raised his eyebrows. He wrapped his strong arms around her slender build. "I think I can manage that, Miss Natarle."

"Somehow I knew you would," Natarle said.

"Really? And how might that be?" he inquired.

She narrowed her eyes. "I saw the way you acted all day today. You were just looking for _one_ excuse to rip my suit off."

He smiled. "Well, now that you mention it..." He leaned forward and kissed her. She kissed him back with ferocious intensity. He leaned into her, their bodies sinking into the bubbles, heat overcoming their intertwining forms.


	8. Chapter 8

The final day at the resort passed without much incident. All three couples managed to enjoy themselves by either going downtown, sitting by the beach or swimming pool, or even just sitting around and not doing much of anything. Quite honestly, this was the full definition of what they had hoped this vacation would be. Nothing to do but sit around and be with the people you cared about.

Night however, was a whole different story.

Inside her suite, Erica stood in front of the bathroom sink, staring at herself in the mirror, moving a brush through her delicate brown hair, being careful not to disturb a single lock that would end up causing havoc for her later on this evening. She hoped she looked well enough, given that this was the only time the entire trip she would have to at least somewhat dress up for an occasion. It wasn't much, just a night out at one of the downtown clubs. But even so, she wanted to look nice. She ran her hands along the sides of her blue silk blouse and re-tucking it into her dark blue jean skirt. At least she looked like she had _tried_ to dress up.

There came a knock at her door a few seconds later. "Erica! You ready?" It was Murrue's voice on the other end.

"Just a minute." Erica dangled rounded white earrings into her earlobes. When she turned in the direction of the light, they sparkled in the reflection of the mirror. Reaching for her purse, she headed for the door.

Murrue stood behind the door, wearing a simple white dress with a short black jacket over it. "All set?"

"Yep, let's go," Erica announced, shutting the door quietly behind her.

At the crossroads of the hallway just a few meters away waited Mwu, Frank, and Natarle, each dressed in their own creative ways. Mwu had his eyes closed with his hands behind his back, dressed in a dark gray polo shirt and black trousers. Frank was leaning up against a corner of the wall, hands shoved into the pockets of a black blazer, over a white cotton shirt and blue jeans. Finally Natarle, clad in a black dress with, like Murrue, a black jacket over it, stood beside Frank.

"Where's John?" Mwu asked Erica, after opening his eyes.

"He went back to the doctor," Erica said, joining up with the rest of the group. Murrue slipped her arm through Mwu's as she added, "He's having his shoulder checked over to see if he can get the sling off sooner."

"I thought he said he could have it off today?" Mwu's voice seemed hurt.

"He did. But John wants to be sure about it before he joins us, so he'll meet us at the place later tonight." Erica bit her lower lip. "Well, shall we be going?"

"I think we're ready," Murrue said. She pulled Mwu along beside her, or dragged him more or less, by the arm with Erica right behind them. Frank and Natarle brought up the rear, eventually joining by the hand as they made their way towards the elevator.

Frank whispered, "If it makes you feel any better, that dress looks great on you."

"Thank you," Natarle responded. "Though I'm not sure about the jeans for you."

He smiled. "What can I say, I like being casual."

* * *

After a bus ride downtown, the group made their way through the somewhat crowded sidewalks to one of the buildings with neon tinted lights hanging above the doorway. It was a club that had been recommended by the people who worked at the hotel, who said that while it wasn't the biggest place, it had great music and great food, which won them over quickly.

Mwu led the way, stepping into the building which was already flooded by other guests and party-goers lined up on the dance floor, sitting in cleverly arrayed booths, or sitting up on the stools by the bar. An up tempo pop song was being played at the time, sending many of the dancers into a frenzy. Mwu glanced around, his eyes being barraged by the bright strobe lights along the ceiling. "Looks like this place is everything they told it would be!" he said over the loud music.

"Let's find a table where we can put our things!" Murrue suggested. They eventually made their way to a booth situated near the bar. Murrue took off her jacket. "Frank, are you going to be here for a while?"

"Yeah, we'll stay here for a little bit, order something to eat."

"We'll watch everything," Natarle added. "You can go out and have fun for a little while."

"Are you sure? You don't mind?" Murrue asked.

"It's okay. Besides, you should know I can't dance," Frank joked.

"Yeah, you are pretty bad," Murrue laughed. Frank shot her a look that seemed to say 'thanks miss smart-ass', but didn't retort.

"So then, would you like to dance?" Mwu whispered in his wife's ear.

Murrue took him by the hand and pulled him towards the dance floor. "Let's dance."

"Aw right," Mwu whispered. "We'll see you guys later."

"Have fun!" Erica called out, but the couple had already disappeared into the swaying mass of people.

Murrue led him through the throngs of people, many of which were a good five to ten years younger than them. Finally reaching a point a safe distance away from the people, Mwu wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and held her close to him, her back pressing up against his chest, and together they swayed with one another to the beat of the music, from one song to another. Occasionally, they would sneak in a quick kiss, but for the most part they just stayed like that for a long period of time.

She felt his body stiffen when a sudden guitar riff played across the entire complex. It was followed quickly by a raucous bass line and drum beat that seemed to suddenly give the crowd of people a new energy, for they were now beginning to dance with a new vengeance and cry out in ecstasy. Murrue turned her head to take in his expression and saw a smile slowly creep across his face. "What is it?" Murrue asked.

"Shh." She was still confused. "Wait for the lyrics," he whispered. Murrue waited for the now roaring guitar to dissolve and leave nothing but the bass and drums to guide the song.

_Hey little sister, what have you done...?_

She felt her mouth open wide in amazement when she heard the voice begin to sing out the first words. "No way..." she smiled. She recognized that voice.

"Yep," Mwu added, "that's Stevy all right."

"Son of a bitch," Frank said. He, Natarle, and Erica had each ordered drinks and had engaged in conversation up until the point when this song came up. Frank too recognized the voice. "The bastard actually did it. He put the song out."

"Who is this?" Erica wondered out loud.

"Stevy Barrington. You remember him from the you-know-what," Frank answered. "He went back to Australia afterwards...said he wanted to try his hand at music...apparently he's doing all right for himself."

"Didn't he say he was going to try and form a band of his own?" Natarle asked. "At least that's what I thought he said."

"He must have because he only knows how to play guitar." Frank tapped his foot with the beat of the music and added, "This thing is nice."

The song performed by their old friend lasted approximately four minutes, then gave way to a slower, more intimate song. They could see Mwu take Murrue into his arms and hold her close to him as they shared a dance with one another. The song was beautiful, highlighted by a quiet piano, acoustic guitar, and cymbal rolls, underneath a soft feminine voice. "Is John on his way?" Frank asked Erica.

"He should be. Though I really don't mind if he's a little late," Erica said. She glanced at her drink, which was just about empty and added, "I think I'll go get a refill." She got up quickly. So quickly that she didn't see the person coming towards them down the central aisle way, until she bumped into them, the remnants of her drink splattering across his shirt. Erica snapped her head up. The man was a little taller than she was, with black hair and a disgruntled expression on his face, though that was pointed down at the stain spreading across his white cotton t-shirt. There were too other similarly dressed individuals flanking him from behind, obviously followers or cronies of the leader. "I'm so sorry..." Erica stammered, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Here...l-let me get you a napkin..."

"This was a new shirt lady," was the man's, or young man's to be more precise, response.

"I'm so sorry," Erica repeated, "I apologize, aah!" She was pushed back into her seat, landing hard on her bottom, thanks to the hard shove from the man.

"Hey!" Frank shouted, loud enough for them to hear, but with the music playing so loud in the background, they were the only ones that seemed to notice.

"I don't think you understand, lady!" he shouted, leaning down right up next to Erica's ear. "When you mess with me and my stuff...I expect _more_ than just a stupid apology, you hear me?"

"Hey, take it easy, man, it was an accident!" Frank yelled, coming in between him and Erica, who was just now seeming to come around from the shock of being thrown down. Natarle had stood up behind the booth to allow Frank access to the scene. "What are shoving a lady for, you ass?" He turned his head to glance at Erica and said, "Are you okay?" She nodded. Frank turned around just in time to catch a hard right hand in the face courtesy of the first man. He was sent backwards, landing face first on the table, a hand immediately going to his eye, where the jab had connected.

"Oh God, Frank!" Erica cried.

"Frank are you okay?" Natarle echoed, getting to his side in an instant.

"Hey..." came a deep voice just a short distance away, but both sides ignored it.

Frank slowly began to straighten himself, his hand still covering his eye. His body was trembling with anger from the cheap shot. The young man was smirking and laughing obnoxiously with his cronies behind him. He ground his teeth together in his mouth. "You ass-hole..." Frank hissed. He removed his hand, found no blood, and clenched it in a tight fist. He could feel the steel within begin to grind against his reflexes.

"What are you gonna do about it old man?" his adversary mocked. "Come on, bring it, man!"

"Frank don't-!" Erica's warning was too late as Frank was lurching himself at the young man with rage burning in his eyes. Before he could reach him however, something stopped him.

"Hey!" Everything, excluding the dance floor where couples continued to be hypnotized by the beautiful song still being echoed, now reaching the final chorus section, across the club. All four men involved in the scuffle immediately snapped their heads towards the front door, where an individual was just now coming up a short flight of stairs to where the scene was. He was wearing a black shirt with black pants, his left arm in a black sling. His look was more inquisitive than anything else. John walked towards the scuffle until he was just a few steps away from where it had just been about to take place. Frank straightened himself to full height and stood in front of the table, where Natarle and Erica stood. The three young men were situated on the opposite side of them. John came into position in the middle and glanced at both sides for a few seconds. "What the hell's going on here...?" he asked in his deep voice.

"You with these guys?" the leader of the thugs asked absent mindedly.

John slowly turned his head towards Erica. She looked worried, scared almost. He returned his gaze towards the three men and responded, "If you mean my wife, then yes."

"Your_ wife_?" he laughed. "Well then, your old lady owes me an apology, pops."

"For what?" John asked more than said. "As far as I can tell, the only thing she had to apologize for is being concerned about your well-being."

"Hey, don't get all philosophical on me, man! I don't give a crap about you, all I want is an apology!"

"And you got one. She said she was sorry." John's voice somehow was remaining calm and serene through the entire scenario. "Now why don't you...just go on your way...and leave us alone."

The kid smirked. His cronies laughed. "Really? Well why don't you make us pops?" he said, getting very close to John's face, which didn't change in expression. It didn't even twitch.

"Fine," he said simply.

"What did you say?"

"John?" Frank said incredulously.

"I said fine. If you think you can take me...I'll apologize for interrupting your evening. If not...then you leave us alone."

"Jack-ass-!" It happened so fast that it was incredibly hard to see what happened. The punch had been just behind the words as they left the man's mouth. It had been headed directly for John's face, which was positioned just in front of the other man's noggin. But, with seemingly breathtaking speed, John's head twitched to the left, avoiding the punch, leaving the man with nothing on the end of his fist but air.

They were still for a few moments. John smiled. "You missed."

Quickly, the aggressor withdrew his hand and wound up again. "You bastard..." He launched another, but once again John dodged, this time bending his knees and crouching so that the shot breezed over his head. Several more punches were thrown, all of them by the aggressor, neither of which connected. John was incredibly swift on his feet, jinking several directions, apparently before the punches were even thrown, which was incredible to the people around them. Both Frank and Natarle wore shocked expressions on their faces, while Erica's was more neutral. It was as if she had seen this before.

The aggressor was sucking on wind after the last miss. John said quietly, "Are you finished?"

The man's eyes burned with anger. "Hold still, you bastard!" He charged at John. Yet again, he moved with amazing quickness to his left, leaving his right leg extended in the man's path, which tripped up the man's balance and sent him flying down onto the floor with a thud. His accomplices mouth's dropped in shock. It was as if they had never seen their leader beaten this badly before.

John turned his head towards Frank and the girls and said, "See Frank...I didn't have to lift a finger...and already I put him on his ass."

Struggling to his feet, the man didn't seem to want to give up. "You ass-hole."

John shrugged. "It would seem I've reduced you to nothing but insults." He added, "I think we'll be leaving now." A cry of anger sprang from the man as he launched himself at John who was now facing away from him. He seemed to sense the attack however, and, with a sigh tinted with annoyance, crouched in a combat style on his haunches. The attack was halted before it even reached him however. The right hand from Frank caught him square in the face, which scrunched in an ugly crunch upon impact. Slowly, the man's form slunk down to the floor and flattened out beside them.

By now, the music had changed. Mwu and Murrue walked up towards the bar arm in arm. "Do you think they've been able to find something to do while we've been gone?" Murrue asked him casually.

"I don't know," he answered. "Maybe..." When they stepped up onto the level that contained the bar, they stopped. They saw the scene in front of them, both John and Frank standing above the spread-eagled form of a man lying on the floor, unconscious apparently. Mwu glanced down at his wife with an expression that seemed to say, 'What the?'. Murrue had virtually the same expression as he did.

John raised his eyes from the downed man to his accomplices, who were now visibly trembling in fear. "I think you two'd better leave." They didn't need any other motivation. They were sprinting towards the door within the second, flying past Mwu and Murrue who were now making their way towards the scene.

"What happened here?" Murrue demanded. Natarle had come beside Frank and taken him the arm. He was still looking down upon the man he had just knocked out.

"We had a little trouble," John responded for everyone. Erica stood beside him now, an arm wrapped around his torso. "Nothing we couldn't handle."

"Really..." Mwu said.

John glanced around them. "I think I speak for everyone when I say let's go back to the hotel." Erica nodded. They took the lead and headed towards the door. Mwu helped Murrue put on her coat.

After they left, Natarle helped Frank bring the unconscious man's form to the front of the establishment and handed him over to a security guard. "What happened to him?" he asked.

The couple glanced at each other. "He had a little accident," Natarle responded quickly. The guard didn't even bother to ask anymore and soon they too were out the door. The street was almost deserted except for a scattered few cars and buses taking people back to the hotel or their homes. "Well...that was...eventful..." Natarle murmured to no one in particular.

Frank glanced at her. His eye was now just beginning to turn black from the punch he'd taken earlier. He smiled. "And you didn't want to come originally."

Natarle rolled her eyes and smiled. "Let's head back," she said. Frank extended his arm to her and she linked hers through his. Without another word, they headed back towards the hotel.


	9. Chapter 9

The elevator door sighed open patiently. Out into the corridor, arms still locked together, stepped John and Erica. They had not separated since they left the club approximately half an hour earlier, agreeing to return to the hotel after the whole incident had passed. There had not been much to say during the duration of time, though occasionally they would speak calming words to one another, in order to pass on comfort to their significant other.

John slid his key card into the reader and, after fidgeting with the door handle for short time frame, Erica stepped forward to open the door for him. They entered a suite that was dark and stuffy, one that seemed to reflect the mood at the time. John left her for a short time and went to the window beside the door to the balcony, unlatching the shutters and throwing the glass open, allowing the cool breeze from the ocean to flow into the room.

"Never thought I'd see you do that again." John turned slowly around. Erica was leaning up against the nearby wall, arms behind her back, a smile on her face for the first time in quite some time.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," John shrugged. "And believe me, that kid _desperately_ needed to be taught a lesson in how to treat fellow human beings, especially ladies."

Erica shook her head. "You and your morals."

John was walking past her. "You think Frank is going to want me to teach him how to do that?"

"He may," Erica considered. "Though I still don't know if he'd fully understand the concept."

"Yeah, you've got a point. It is pretty hard to predict the tell of an opponent accurately and still move out of the way quick enough." John was speaking of an old Shaolin technique, where one can sense an opponent's movement in battle before it actually happens through an aura given off by said opponent, known as a tell, and then can plot the adequate defense in order to avoid that same attack. Though known to few people outside of their own family, John was a master of this technique, dating back to his teenage years. "Besides, with that hand of his, I don't think he'll really need it," he added, chuckling.

Erica watched him disappear into the bathroom on the other side of the suite. She remained where she was, deeply lost in her own thoughts. Mainly of all the events that had happened these last three days. First, she had capped it off by hurting her husband, leaving him one armed for the rest of the vacation. No matter what John said, she still couldn't place blame on anyone else but herself for that. And now tonight she'd been on the receiving end of the opening salvo that triggered a brawl at a local club. Quietly, she wondered how all of this could have happened during a vacation that was supposed to be a celebration for herself and John.

"Erica, could you come and help me for a sec?" John's voice brought Erica back into reality. She shook her head to chase away those reminiscent thoughts. Making her way to the doorway, she peered inside. What she saw caused her take a step back.

John had unbuckled his sling's strap over his shoulder and was now removing the protective device entirely. "John, what are you-?"

"Didn't I tell you what the doctor said?" He inclined her to come closer. As she did so, he continued, "He said that same thing he did the first day. I can take it off for about five hours today, and I have yet to do so."

Erica gingerly walked behind him, placing her arms on his shoulders, being careful to not irritate his injured right shoulder. "Are you sure it's okay?"

John was unbuttoning his black dress shirt. "I think so. Better yet, I _know_ so. What I want you to do...is see for yourself if it's okay." He gestured with his head towards his right shoulder. Erica helped him get the garment off of his shoulder, gently tugging at it until it slipped off of his arm. She traced his limb with her fingers, gently traversing his well chiseled arm until she reached the pressure point on his shoulder. "Does it hurt?" she whispered. He shook his head in response.

Turning around to face her, John took Erica in his arms. Her fingers continuing massaging his shoulder. To John, her facial expression was that of disbelief, and maybe even a little _re_lief. "They say it when you injure yourself...that part of your body grows back stronger when it heals."

Erica looked up into his dark eyes. "I can believe that." Moving her arms, she wrapped them around his neck. "You're a fast healer."

He smiled. "I didn't have a choice. I wanted to make sure that you didn't let this drag you down for the entire time we were here. Besides...with all your worrying about me...I bet you forgot the reason we came here in the first place."

"_I have not!_" Erica retorted slyly. "It's our five year anniversary, John. How could I possibly forget that?"

"Just checking." Without another word, he lowered his face to hers and kissed her gently. "I'm wondering if we've even had time to celebrate like a couple through this entire escapade."

"Of course we did. We went to the beach, went dancing, ate a lot..." She trailed off. There was a certain sparkle in his eyes that touched her deep inside her heart. Blushing brightly, she added, "Oh...you mean like _that_."

John smiled. "I think we deserve a little time to ourselves, don't you," he said, gently beginning to nip at her neck and side of her lovely face.

"John..." she gasped. She was suddenly swept off of her feet and cradled in his strong arms. They kissed each other lovingly as he brought her across the suite into the bedroom.

She laid him down carefully on the soft linen sheets. She clambered on top of him and straddled him. She played with a stray lock of hair on his handsome face and kissed his forehead gently with her red lips. He untucked her shirt from her skirt and slowly started unbuttoning it from the bottom. Erica helped him by starting from the top, popping the collar on her shirt loose. They removed it together. He ran his hands across her smooth back and pulled her close to him. He kissed her on the lips. Erica let a soft moan escape from her throat and lips as he ran his lips to her neck and slowly kissed her collar bone. She ran her hands across his well built chest, feeling his muscles tense under her touch. He brought his lips to hers again and kissed her passionately. His hands unbuckled her skirt. Kicking it off her legs, the gentle breeze from the open window carried the fabric away.

The kiss was broken after a short period of time. John stared into her eyes and whispered, "Well now...doesn't this seem familiar..." Erica felt her cheeks turn red. She allowed herself to take in the scene. John was below her on the bed, she was straddling him, in nothing but her underwear.

She lowered herself to where her lips were just above his. "Let's see if that shoulder of yours is fully healed, shall we?." She kissed him again.

* * *

Frank sat quietly by the fountain in the front lobby of the hotel building, his black blazer swung over his shoulder casually. He was gingerly holding an ice bag over his eye where that punk had hit him earlier and despite his best efforts, he knew he was going to end up with a black eye before the night was over. He remained unmoved however, mainly because in the past he'd been on the receiving end of many of those cheap shots during his years.

He heard the swift movement of feet walking towards him. Through his one available eye, he watched Natarle make her way across the ground and sit beside him on the edge of the fountain. She still wore the black dress she had picked out for the evening. They sat in silence for a period of time, during which the only sound that could be heard in the lobby was the gushing of the fountain behind them.

"How bad is it?" Natarle glanced at him. He'd removed the ice bag, revealing his now dark rimmed eye.

Biting her lower lip, she responded, "It doesn't look...that bad..." He cocked his head in her direction. The smirk on his face made Natarle blush bright crimson. Grinning shyly, she continued, "Okay...it's going to end up as a shiner."

He chuckled. "Well at least you're honest." Frank took his jacket off of his shoulder and placed it around her shoulders. She hugged it to herself and thanked him with a smile. "I still can't believe I let that ass-hole get the jump on me like that."

"You're back was turned, Frank," Natarle pointed out. "Besides, you were concerned about Erica and me, so how could you have known it was coming."

"Still, I should have been more prepared. I guarantee the people back you-know-where will be giving me hell about it for the rest of the week."

"Don't forget about _me_." Franks shuddered beside her. "I'm kidding!" Natarle said lightly.

Frank buried his face in his hands and shook his head. "I know, I know." His voice was muffled, but she could tell that he was laughing behind them. "It's just so hard to tell with you."

"I take that as a compliment, you know," Natarle answered.

"Uh-huh." Frank stretched his arms out and added, "But that punk should consider himself lucky."

"Really? And how should he consider himself lucky? You did put him in the hospital more than likely," Natarle said.

"Let me put it this way," Frank said. "If it had been _you_ he decided to push down...he'd probably be in even worse shape than he is now. I would've gone and kicked his ass right away regardless if John showed up or not."

She smiled. "Aww, you're sweet."

Frank took her hand in his and covered it with the other. "You know I would do anything for you Natarle. Regardless if I myself got hurt in the process. I care that much about you."

Natarle's smile was turning him inside out inside. "And you know that I would do the same for you, Frank."

"I love you, Natarle...you know that right?" Frank said.

"Of course, Frank. And I love _you_."

There was a short silence that followed. Frank's heart was beating like crazy inside of him. Before he'd given up his jacket, he'd slipped the small box out of the pocket and now had it concealed behind his back. "We're two of a kind, really," he said quietly. "Two hard nosed military types who seemingly couldn't get along a year ago...and now we're hopelessly in love with one another."

"I know. It's kind of funny how times change," Natarle admitted. "Now we can't _not_ get along with one another. Even when we fight...we end up making up with one another so fast...it's incredible."

"Yeah..." he said. "Um...and Natarle...because of that...I'd like...to make it so we can stay like that."

Natarle was confused. "I don't understand."

"Uh..." Frank was stumbling over his words. He could tell by Natarle's expression that she was completely in the dark about what he was about to do. He silently thanked his friend. "What I mean is..." He slowly made his way off of the edge of the fountain and onto one knee, supporting his left hand, still locked with hers, with his other leg. His other hand made its way to the box behind him and brought it out of its hiding spot, now bringing it to bear in front of Natarle. It took Natarle several seconds to comprehend what was happening, but when she saw the little black box, her free hand immediately went to her mouth in shock. Her violet eyes widened and her body began to tremble slightly. He could feel it in his grip as he held on to her hand. He managed a smile. "Natarle...I love you more than anything in the world...will you marry me?"

He thought he could see a tear in the corner of her eye. Slowly she nodded. Her hand displaced itself from her mouth and she mouthed the word, "Yes..." Finally regaining her voice, she burst out. "Yes! Yes of course, I will, Frank!"

His heart literally exploded in happiness inside of his heart. Literally leaping up off of the ground, he dragged her to her feet and took her in his arms. She threw her arms around him and laughed loudly into his chest. They stood there and held each other for a long time. Just being able to be in each other's arms at this time and place was enough.

"Why are you crying?" Frank asked, his voice crackling with excitement.

Natarle quickly wiped away the mist. "I don't know. I just...I never thought this would happen to me."

Eventually, they managed to contain their emotions long enough for Frank to slip the diamond pendant onto her finger. Natarle stared at the diamond, which twinkled in the overhead lighting of the lobby, and said, "It's beautiful, Frank."

"I'm glad you like it," he said. He smiled. "You have no idea how much of discipline came into play just now so I wouldn't screw that up!"

Natarle laughed. "So it seems that all our past experiences paid off. Now hopefully...they'll help us in the future..."

"Yeah," Frank whispered. "But let's worry about that later. Right now...let's just concentrate on right here...right now..." He kissed her full on the lips, his arms holding onto her for dear life. Natarle did much the same, not wanting to let go of him.

* * *

Up on the floor overlooking the lobby, two figures watched the two people embracing below them. "Isn't that beautiful," Murrue sighed. "Somehow...I always knew they were made for each other."

"Yeah," Mwu agreed. "Now it looks like we've got another wedding to get ready for." Murrue nodded in agreement.


	10. Chapter 10

The sun was shining brightly over the coast, illuminating the white sand beaches so brightly that it strained the eyes if one just attempted to look at it. The sky was cloudless, a perfect backdrop of blue. The ocean breeze was gently blowing once again, signaling the arrival of a new day.

In the lobby of the Waveland Hotel, Erica returned from the front desk. The rest of the party was waiting by the front door. "We're all set then. We can go," she announced. The group slowly made their way towards the car outside which was waiting to take them to the airport and then in turn back home to their everyday lives. Though, clearly visible on each of their faces, nobody in the group really wanted to go back.

The men helped the driver load their luggage into the rear of the van, while the women climbed into the spacious seating compartment ahead of them. Mwu said, "Best vacation ever fellas?"

"Uh-huh," Frank agreed. "Worth every minute of it. I'd come back here any day of the week."

"Didn't I tell you it would be great?" John asked absent-mindedly. "The only bad thing about it is, is that tomorrow I've got to go back to work."

"Yeah, I know. I've got a meeting tomorrow with the Prime Minister, and boy is that going to be fun," Mwu grimaced.

Inside the van, the conversation was much of the same. "We'll have to finish monitoring the repairs on that new warship that's coming into service when we get back tomorrow, Murrue," Erica told her.

"I remember, don't worry."

Natarle was quiet. Every once in a while, she would glance down at the ring and smile. She'd managed to keep it hidden from everyone until she was ready to tell them. "So when is the wedding happening?" Natarle froze. Murrue was leaning over her shoulder, smiling down on her. Erica was doing much of the same from the seat in front of them.

"H-how did you...?" Natarle stuttered.

"The ring kind of gives it away," Murrue reminded her. Natarle blushed and averted her eyes.

"We don't know yet," she admitted. "We really don't know much of anything about it, yet."

"You'll have time," Murrue said kindly. "It'll come a lot sooner than you think, though."

"Okay, so let me get this straight." That was Erica. "So...a year after the fact...the kind-hearted Captain and the strict-minded Combat Commander who seemed to not be able to stand each other...are now on the verge of becoming _sister-in-laws_? My how the world turns." As Erica laughed, Murrue and Natarle glanced at one another and after a short period of pause, smiled and laughed along with them.

A few minutes later, with all the luggage packed and passengers aboard, the van took off for the airport, leaving the magnificent hotel, the marvelous beach, and a whole chapter of the lives of the six individuals it carried, in its wake.


End file.
